


The Aftermath

by Lalalelo94



Series: Fire team Survivor [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Gore, Love, Romance, Smut, Stress, caydes chicken, some gore, some smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-01-07 10:19:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 110,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12230880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalalelo94/pseuds/Lalalelo94
Summary: After defeating Ghaul (Gary) many thought life would return to normal but that is far from the case for Serafina and her Ghost Orion. Having lost her friends, Fireteam and her home as well as seeing her fellow Guardians slaughtered at the hands of the Red Legion things are not going well for Serafina. Hopefully with a little help from those around her she can get things back on track and deal with the deranged and horrible plots their enemies come up with to try and bring humanity to its knees.Some chapters contain scenes of gore these will be marked with a *Some chapters contain scenes of a sexual nature and will be marked with **





	1. Chapter 1 - Do You Think About Love?

**Sera… Do you ever think about love?**

I took a deep breath, pulled the trigger and watched the body hit the floor before exhaling and looking to Orion who was floating around to my right, he was staring intently as something on the ground. I leaned over and looked down to see a ring; it was a wedding ring by the look of it, a simple gold band.

“Can’t say I do… not really got much time for stuff like that right now” I said looking from the ring to Orion, he looked sad.

**You hear people talk about the price of things, the price of safety, the price of love, the price of power… What price have you paid for a second chance at life and the gift of the Light?**

I looked back to the ring, studying it for a moment before reaching down and picking it up and slipping it into one of my knife pouches. “I don’t know Orion… whatever the price, it is probably worth it” I muttered before looking back down my scope and lining up the next shot… the Cabal were idiots, did they not think we would peruse them across the EDZ like they did us? Did they not think we would seek them out and put an end to them as they did us?

I squeezed the trigger, smiling as the body hit the floor.

“I love you… you are my best friend, without you I would be lost… without you I would be nothing, no one… another name lost to time, another pile of bones reminding others of the dangers of the Cosmodrome” I said, lining up the next shot. These Cabal were idiots and had obviously never heard the words ‘take cover’ before, not that I was complaining, it made picking them off easier and quicker.

**Sera…**

I quickly made my shot, ensured the body hit the floor and then looked to Orion, he was looking at me, his shell had shifted, he looked happier than he had done a moment ago. I smiled at him and held my hand out for him, he floated down and came to rest in my palm, I brought him up to my lips, placing a small kiss on the top little spike of his shell and then moving him up to my eye level.

“As long as I have you by my side I don’t need anyone else. Now, how about we get back to the Tower, let Commander Zavala know this bunch of brutes won’t be a problem and then get a bite to eat” I said and Orion lifted himself up from his resting place in my palm and nodded.

**That sounds like a plan… I wonder if Commander Zavala has any thoughts on the price you Guardians pay…**

I just chuckled and stood. He probably would. Though I doubted he would have time to go over them with Orion, since we had taken back the city he had been working nonstop trying to organise the rebuild and keep track of our enemies’ movements.

A quick scout round the area led to me spending ten minutes trying to crack open a Cabal cache before left, making our way back home, though due to a slow and steady flight back to the Tower it was getting on in time when we arrived back.

“Ah, if it isn’t my favourite Huntress… been up to much?” Cayde’s voice asked and I glanced up to the walk ways that slithered their way through the hanger. He was stood watching me move through the hanger, that damned chicken perched on the railings, how that thing hadn’t fallen off yet was a mystery to me; it had to be one of the stupidest birds I had ever come across. “Just driving Cabal crazy to the point they lose their heads” I stated, smirking at the Hunter Vanguard before continuing to head out the hanger. “Sounds fun… Keep up the good work!” Cayde called after me, he sounded as enthusiastic as ever, I just held one arm up in the air and gave him a thumbs up, he had to be the single most charismatic person I had ever met.

As I entered the courtyard I noticed there were not that many other Guardians around, a few were gathered around Rahool and Banshee had some company, though Commander Zavala was stood all on his lonesome and as soon as Orion had ensured I was walking towards him he shot off ahead of me to the commander. The commander seemed a little surprised by Orion’s sudden appearance and glanced round, his gaze coming to settle on me and he smiled before turning back to Orion.

**… I mean… what do you think? What is the price? Is there a price? Will it be worth it? Sera thinks it will be… though we’ve spent pretty much every waking moment since her revival fighting our enemies and making the system a safer place… Maybe any price would be worth paying to her due to that fact, but would that be the same for everyone? Would you, Sera and one of the… younger Guardians consider whatever the price is to be worth it?**

I found myself chuckling as Orion basically ranted at Commander Zavala, how many questions had he thrown at the poor man?

“Well… It is not something I have ever thought about I must admit… though it is a very interesting question. I imagine there is a price we all must pay, though there is no guarantee that everyone will pay the same price or that it will be worth it for everyone” Commander Zavala mused whilst Orion just floated there, looking all thoughtful and cute.

“The Cabal camping out in the mountains won’t be an issue anymore” I stated as silence fell. Orion was a rather chatty Ghost compared to others, or so I had been told, it just meant I had learnt to make the most of any silence and say what I needed to before the little Ghost found his voice again. “Good… we continue to push them back and they continue to flee. Our next should be to secure the materials we need to start rebuilding the city… I’ll speak with the others; put together a list of what we need and where we are able to obtain it from” Commander Zavala stated in a very matter-of-fact tone.

**Do Guardians marry? I mean… everyone feels love, but do Guardians get to act on it? Or is their work more important?**

I glanced to Orion and smiled… he was probably confusing Commander Zavala, jumping from seemingly random topic to another. But as with everything, he just took it in his stride.

“I know of a few Guardians who are… couples, but I am unaware of if any have married. Everyone is free to act on their feelings, it is their choice to either prioritize their feelings or their work” Commander Zavala stated and I moved so I could lean against the railings and look out at the city… it was nice to see it back in our ownership, back in the light…

**I knew you would have some insightful thoughts on the matter… Didn’t I Sera… Sera… Are you even listening? Oh you’ve zoned out again… she had that look on her face when Cayde introduced her to his new chicken… she doesn’t like the chicken, it tried to eat me… Sera loves me so she doesn’t like things that try to eat me.**

I turned to look at Orion; he was orbiting Commander Zavala who’d taken up a position leaning back against the railings, probably letting the Ghost do as he pleased whilst his own Ghost simply floated beside him, moving out of Orion’s way as he passed by.

“You are my constant companion, you know everything there is to know about me… you complete me, of course I don’t like things trying to eat you, be it a chicken or that damned Thrall on Titan that chocked to death on you… even if it was the funniest thing I have ever seen” I chuckled and Orion moved so he was in front of me and glared at me.

**You stood there laughing… you were laughing so much in fact that you were doubled over gasping for air by the time it chocked to death… ON ME!… And then once it died you took three minutes and forty-two seconds to cut me out of its throat. You then joked about it with Sloane… And Cayde… Even Failsafe ended up knowing about it!**

I found myself laughing all over again whilst Orion just glared at me, I was sure I even heard Commander Zavala chuckle. “It was just so funny… It was grasping at its little throat and stumbling all over the place whilst you were yelling at it to cough you up or to just rip its own throat out and die already because I was a useless Guardian” I chuckled as I composed myself. Orion still glaring at me but I could tell it was half hearted. “You know if I thought you were in any real danger I would have stepped in right away. I would have reached down that Thrall’s horrible, icky, toothy black hole of a throat and pulled you out before putting my blade in its head” I stated and Orion’s expression softened and he came to perch on my shoulder.

**Just remember… You love me AND you need me to be able to do your work so I am your priority**

I smiled and lent my head slightly to the side so I could rest my cheek on Orion’s shell. He was warm, he was always warm. “And you just remember that even though I love you it is still funny when a Thrall chokes to death on you” I mumbled, before moving my head and looking to Commander Zavala who was just watching the two of us, a content smile on his face.

**_How come you’ve never told me you love me?_ **

Commander Zavala’s Ghost had a rather soft voice which surprised me a little bit; I would have expected it to sound more like him… Then again, Orion sounded nothing like me. “Maybe because you’ve never asked” I said and the Ghost looked to me, nodded and then back to Commander Zavala.

**_Do you love me?_ **

“Of course I do, you are the only constant thing in my life” Commander Zavala stated and Orion floated up a little as if to say something but I dragged him back down and back onto my shoulder.

**_What about the other Vanguard? And that female guardian you are always thinking about… They are pretty constant?_ **

I took a deep breath, doing my best not to laugh or look as if I was paying any attention to their conversation… Orion however wasn’t even trying. I knew he was watching and listening, despite my subtle attempt to get him to focus on something else.

“Maybe this is a conversation for another time…” Commander Zavala stated, his voice lower than it had been a minute ago, probably a little embarrassed at his Ghost for outing the fact he had a crush on another Guardian. Though his Ghost did not look happy at the idea of having to have the conversation another time, they seemed to want to have the conversation now, no matter who was present.

**_Why? Why can’t you have it now? Hunters are good at keeping secrets aren’t they? She isn’t going to go run off and tell others what you’ve said…_ **

“That isn’t the point Neptune. All you need to know is that I do love you, you are always by my side and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe” Commander Zavala stated and I smiled and looked out over the city, Orion seemed to be getting antsy on my shoulder, shifting constantly and looking all over the place. Probably wanting to either say something or to go elsewhere and do something else.

**_Very well. Though I will be telling Ikora and Cayde you forgot about them when you called me the only constant thing in your life… and as for… the woman… wait a minute…_ **

Before Neptune could say anything more Commander Zavala coughed into his fist and smiled at me. “I shall inform you as soon as I am aware of what materials we require and where they can be found” he said and I simply nodded and stood, Orion moving to float above me, glancing at Neptune before following me back through the courtyard and towards the new Guardian quarters.

Neptune, what a fitting name for a Ghost… they always did remind me of water in the way they moved, and Neptune was the God of the sea…

**Sera… Do you think you will ever love another Guardian again… or another individual? Not in the way you love me… but, romantically…**

I glanced to Orion and gave him a soft smile and shrugged. “I don’t know Orion, maybe one day. But to be honest I am pretty damned happy to say the only person I love in my life is my amazing little Ghost… My little light” I chuckled remembering how much calling him little annoyed him, though this time he didn’t respond, he just floated along next to me. I just sighed, content and happy with how things were back to some form of normal and hit the call button on the elevator to take me down to the apartments.

After a few minutes the elevator doors opened, I was rather thankful it was empty and that no one else was waiting to go down either. Since defeating Ghaul everyone had been wanting to congratulate me and thank me… ask me questions about it, questions I didn’t want to answer and sometimes just couldn’t. It had been a very hard and trying time for everyone, but just because I managed to get my light back and enable us to turn the tide of the war with the Red Legion it did not mean I had an easy time of things. My best friends were dead, both died in front of me; the road to The Farm and relative safety had been paved with dead guardians and lost Ghosts whose existence was coming to an end and the Cabal, Fallen… Hell even the Hive had pursued us relentlessly, trying at every turn to murder me and Orion… The one person I had left I could trust up till discovering Commander Zavala, Cayde and Ikora were alive, and even then they seemed just as lost as I was, they were just better at making winging it look like a solid plan.

**Sera… Sera… Orion to Sera… Anybody home!**

Orion’s voice ripped me out of my day dream; he was bobbing up and down in front of my face, a concerned expression on his… face… What was it called? I had always referred to it as a face but it was just one eye… and that eye was a bulb essentially? His expression was shown via the movements of his shell…

**For crying out loud Sera! This is our floor! Come on… Others are waiting for the elevator!**

Once more Orion’s voice brought me out my day dream and I just nodded and glanced round, I was no longer alone in the elevator, a young looking Warlock and his Ghost were staring at me. “Sorry… Been a long few days” I muttered before exiting and heading down the corridor to my apartment.

**Sera, you’ve been doing that a lot recently… just… staring, are you OK? Is something on your mind? Do you require anything? Is there anything I can do?**

I smiled at Orion’s worry; he was so loyal, so observant… picking up on the tiniest details of, and changes in, my behaviour. “I am fine Orion… Like I said, it has just been a long few days and I am ready for a hot relaxing bath and some good food followed up by a long nights sleep if at all possible” I stated, casting a smile at the little Ghost.

**Very well… though you promise you’ll let me know if there is anything. Anything you need, that I can do, that you require… OK? Promise…**

I chuckled and nodded as we entered the apartment, “I promise Orion, now go start running that bath whilst I check what I have in the fridge” I commented and Orion nodded happily and darted towards the bathroom whilst I headed to the kitchen to see what food I had in. As I opened the fridge I frowned and stood back, I had a carton of milk that was well pasts its best, a very sad looking bunch of spring onion and half a tin of soup that I am pretty sure had been in there longer than the milk.

**Your bath is running and… you need to go shopping more often… and empty the fridge out more often… I can’t smell and I know that milk smells horrific… it is that old…**

I sighed and shut the fridge door; maybe I had something more edible in the cupboards. I quickly went through them, wanting to find something I could have to eat after my bath, but there wasn’t much in the cupboards either. “Noodles… carrots, broccoli and one potato… well this is going to be the saddest ramen I have ever had” I sighed and I put the ingredients out on the side and headed to the bathroom.

Another minute and my bath would be ready, the water was nice and hot and I had just enough bubble bath left to put in to make it that little bit more relaxing. I quickly grabbed a towel and some pyjamas, the towel went on the heated towel rack and the pyjamas on the bed, tonight was going to be all about relaxing and nothing else.

After my bath I had dried off and decided against cooking a disappointing ramen and sent Orion up to the ramen shop in the Bazaar and told him to get me something to eat and that I would be happy with anything as long as there were dumplings.

Left alone with my thoughts I took a seat on the sofa, wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and just stared at the wall… I used to like peace and quiet, I used to like having a little time alone whilst Orion went and dropped something off or picked something up, having that time to compose my thoughts and just relax… Now I hated it. Silence used to be a rarity, in the old tower fireteams would often live together meaning there was never a dull moment, never a quiet moment, but now, now I couldn’t think of a single fireteam who had not lost at least one member in the attack. The fireteam we’d raided the Vault of Glass with, Fireteam Inferno, had all perished… the fireteam we’d joined up with to take Crota down, Fireteam Beast had lost all but one member… Fireteam Alpha, Fireteam Ocean… both wiped out. Fireteam Banshee all but one member killed… my fireteam… Fireteam Constellation… one survivor.

__

_We all felt it, felt the light being ripped from us, our power being drained from us… Our Ghosts… Orion’s little light went out and he fell to the floor as I feel to my knees. What had the Cabal done to the traveller? What had that done to us?_

_I scrambled to pick Orion up, holding him as tightly as I could, as close as I could, I had never known life without him and not hearing his voice, the sounds his shell made as it moved… it was unsettling to say the least._

_“YOU BASTARD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” Alexis yelled, forcing himself to his feet and charging at the Cabal stood before us, I tried to reach out, grab him and pull him back, he would be no match for him without his powers, without his Ghost’s backup… Though I had not expected what happened next… And from his reaction, Phobos had not either._

_The sound was loud; it was sharp and stung my ears, and though it was over within a second the moment seemed to go on forever. The Cabal had drawn his weapon and fired. Alexis stopped in his tracks, staying standing for a second or two before dropping to the floor, I watched his body carefully, hoping, praying for the tiniest bit of movement but there was nothing. The bullet had ripped through his armour like a hot knife through butter; I didn’t want to think about what it had done to his internal organs... Though it was too late, the thought had crossed my mind and I felt my lunch try and make reappearance._

____

**I’m back! And with ramen!**

Orion’s voice jerked me from my thoughts and back to the present day, a feeling of nausea sitting deep within my belly instantly making me wish I didn’t have to eat. “Great… what did you get me?” I asked turning to look at Orion who smiled and presented me with a chicken ramen, dumplings and some sweet syrup dough balls for after the main. “You know… I am tempted to just send you up there every night and not have to bother cooking ever again… though I am pretty sure you’d get fed up with it and I would have to work out more to offset all the calories from the yummy food” I stated as I made myself comfortable and started to eat. The soft sounds of Orion’s shell moving helping me to feel more settled once more.

**To be honest, we are in the field a lot more than we are the tower so I can’t see that being an issue**

I just chuckled at Orion’s comment and continued to enjoy my meal. Ramen had always been my favourite, Phobos always joked all hunters had to consume it in order to be able to do their jobs… He always was a joker… even at the very end he was making jokes…

__

_Both myself and Phobos found ourselves knelt on the edge of the ledge, I looked to him and he looked to me. “I would say remember which cord to pull to deploy your parachute but I see you forgot yours as well” he chuckled; all I could manage was a half hearted smile… “See you on the other side Sera... it’s been an honour and a pleasure fighting alongside you, be it on the battlefield or in the line for ramen, the lifeblood of the hunter” he chuckled before crossing his arms over his chest, holding his Ghost close and falling backwards… Orion had already fallen over the edge, my grip had not been tight enough… I had lost him, just as I had lost Alexis, and now Phobos._

_I turned towards Ghaul, if this was how I was going to die, so be it… at least I would be with my fireteam soon enough._

____

I shook my head, trying to shake the memories from it, hoping they’d be shaken loose and their grip on my mind lost so I never had to think or dream about them again. I glanced to Orion who was perched on a cushion watching me, probably wondering what I was thinking about, what was going on in my head and why I wasn’t telling him what was on my mind, the little Ghost was smart, he knew I was lying to him, though he also knew if he pushed me for the truth it would only end badly, patience and time, that was the key, that was his way in.

**Sera… I am happy we are back in the city, as charming as the EDZ and farm can be there is nowhere like home…**

I found myself smiling as I shovelled ramen noodles into my mouth, making quick work of them so I could reply, thankfully I didn’t choke on them, that would not be a good thing to do given that the Thrall incident had been mentioned today.

“I am happy we have the city back… though it doesn’t feel like home anymore… most the people that helped me make it home are gone… I only really have you left Orion… you are my home” I all but whispered, Orion floated up from his perch and came to rest on my shoulder, looking up at me with his bright little optical lens. “I mean there’s still Cayde and the other Vanguard, but Alexis and Phobos are gone… A large number of individuals we worked with during different crises are gone… they are dead” I muttered, my eyes beginning to water causing me to quickly wipe away any spillage, if I started crying now I had no idea if I would stop.

**Sera… ARE you OK? You’ve not really talked about Alexis or Phobos since they died… since the camp in the mountains. Since then you’ve not really talked about the dead**

I swallowed the lump in my throat, maybe he just needed patience and not time… I seemed to be unravelling right now, letting everything spill out and hoping I could put it all back in afterwards. “I’ve been having dreams… nightmares… about what happened to them, to Alexis and Phobos, about the dead Guardians at that camp, the message that kept playing, how I was powerless to help them all, useless to them… how I still am because what good am I to the dead? Am I even of any use to the living? I mean there are plenty of other Guardians who can do what I can, plenty of other competent snipers, others who can go run round collecting resources and driving back our enemies, and probably do it without seeing the faces of the dead every time I hear Cabal gunfire or those mutts howl… I fear one day that those sounds will transport me back there, to those moments… that I will lose everything all over again, lose you again… If I lost you again Orion I have no idea what I would do” I whispered, if I whispered it, it seemed less real, I couldn’t hear the words come out my mouth as clearly as if I spoke them normally, it made is easier to cope with. Not that I was really coping.

For a minute or two there were no words spoken, just the sound of my breathing and the gentle sounds of Orion’s shell moving… Then he spoke, it was quiet but deafening all at the same time, simply because of the implications of his words.

**Sera… Do you think you are suffering with some form of emotional trauma?**


	2. Chapter Two - Touching Reunion Aside

__________________________________________________

Zavala – The Tower – Late evening  
__________________________________________________

I stood looking out over the city, the sun had set a while ago and the courtyard was now empty. It was moments like this I looked forward to, the quiet moments as the day turned into night and a calmness fell over the city. There was something about the way the Travellers light bathed the city in a gentle glow, one that seemed to sooth me whenever I looked to it.

**_  
Zavala… The city is safe, why don’t you rest…_ **

  
I glanced up at Neptune and smiled, he was forever telling me I needed to rest more, always concerned for his Guardian. “Very well… Tomorrow will be a long day, putting together a list of the resources we need, how much of those resources we require and where we could potentially acquire them from… and on top of all that we shall have to deal with the factions vying for extra resources, especially Dead Orbit… it seems the attack has emboldened Arach Jalaal, pushed him to put more pressure on the Vanguard and other factions to, what was it… admit we rely too much on the Traveller and its light…” I sighed, dealing with Jalaal was draining and I had a feeling I was going to be seeing a lot of him in the coming days. Even more when they had their spaces in the tower set up and running.

**_  
If you wish I could start putting together the list from recent reports to save some time asking other what they require to complete their tasks_ **

  
“That would be very helpful Neptune, thank you” I replied and after a few seconds Neptune darted in front of me and was floating backwards.

**_  
I have compiled the list of resources we will need to acquire and sent a copy to Ikora and Cayde’s Ghosts and to Hawthorns communications tablet as well as Devrim Kay, he maybe able to supply information on potential locations for these supplies._ **

  
“Thank you Neptune… now that is enough work for one day” I stated, a yawn escaping as I reached the elevator and pressed the call button. The doors opened almost immediately, one of the advantages of going to bed late, no one was using the elevator so I did not have to wait around. I stepped inside pressing the button for the floor my apartment was on and the doors closed, the elevator making a soft whirring sound as it started to move. In the old tower the Vanguard apartments were on their own floor, but now all the apartments were mixed together, mine was in the middle of a hallway, my neighbours a very quiet Warlock in the apartment to the left and a Hunter who never seemed to be in to the right.

  
As the doors opened on the floor of my apartment I stepped out and walked the small distance to my apartment, three steps from the elevator doors to my apartment door. “What time is it Neptune?” I enquired with my Ghost and he looked to me and smiled.

**_  
It is late, eleven thirteen and four seconds to be precise_ **

  
I nodded and glanced over at the bookshelf, I had finished one book last night and was unsure of which one I should start next; perhaps Ikora would have some suggestions… Or I could re-read one of the ones on the bookshelf.

**_  
Bed… Are all you Guardians like little children who require reminding that you need sleep?_ **

  
I looked to Neptune whose expression had gone from a Ghosts smile to their version of the exasperated look everyone had given Cayde at one time or another. “Very well… Goodnight Neptune” I sighed as I headed towards my bedroom, Neptune following, settling on a small cushion that lay on the windowsill. All he could see was walkways and the opposite wall of the tower, but I guess it was better than nothing to him.

**_  
Goodnight Zavala… I shall speak with you in the morning_ **

 

I just smiled, changed into my nightwear and settled in my bed, laying my head down and listening to my breathing until sleep claimed me.

 

__

_  
I opened my eyes, shocked to find myself suddenly outside of the city and in the mountains, a seemingly deserted camp before me, a transmitter stood in the middle of it, though I could not make out what it was transmitting… Maybe Neptune could… Neptune… I looked round, where was he?_

_  
I tried to call out for him but found I could not, I tried again. Still nothing, no sound escaped my lips. What was going on?_

_  
I slowly walked towards the camp, as I got closer it became clear it was not deserted… though the inhabitants were no longer amongst the living. Numerous dead Guardians lay in different sleeping areas, spent ammunition scattered around them, broken blades in hands… What had happened here?_

_  
‘If anyone’s out there, whatever the red legion did it’s like they flipped a switch… Every Guardians and Ghosts connection to the traveller just vanished… we’re gather survivors in the north western passage… They took our light they’re, they’re killing us’_

_  
The pain in that Guardians voice… the desperation and hopelessness… Did they ever stand a chance? Did any of us until Serafina regained her light?_

_  
I was about to look round some more, see if there was any clue as to what exactly had happened here when an ear-splitting scream rang out and I covered my ears and closed my eyes._

_  
___

  
I sat up in bed gasping for air… a nightmare… No, there was something that was not quite right about it, it was all too clear to have been a nightmare, and that scream… There was something hauntingly real about, and that in itself was extremely disturbing.

**_  
Zavala… are you alright?_ **

  
I looked to Neptune who was floating before me, concern clear in his voice and worry very obvious in his expression. “I am fine, I just… I have never experienced something quiet like that” I muttered, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself and focus my mind.

**_  
It was a forced link… Another Awoken Guardian was unable to control their telepathic capabilities effectively whilst experiencing a nightmare and as a result you and other Awoken in their vicinity also expierneced it._ **

  
I looked to Neptune, all Awoken possessed some form of limited telepathic abilities, the Queen’s were considered the most powerful whilst Awoken Guardians came in a close second, the light enhancing the capabilities we already had… Since my rebirth I had used mine, though only a handful of times, and I had never expierneced a forced link… I was not even aware one could be made with another whilst asleep.

**_  
I could detect the use of your abilities through our connection, though I have no way of knowing what was seen or said whilst they were active… What did they inadvertently share?_ **

  
“The camp in the north western passage, I have read reports on it but never seen pictures or footage of it… and when we sent a group of Guardians in to bury the dead and remove the equipment they had their Ghosts cut their feed to us, they felt it more respectful… I now see why” I stated and Neptune came to rest in front of me. I was responsible for those Guardians, I may not have been their Vanguard but I was their commander and I had not prepared them, I had abandoned them and as a result they had died.

**_  
Zavala… you ordered the retreat, you ordered them to get themselves and any survivors they could out and to head to Titan… you did all you could. Had we stayed it would have been the battle to end the war as everyone would have died. You and I both know that, we had little to no hope of winning had we stayed… we had little to no hope until Serafina regained her light._ **

  
I looked at Neptune, he always knew exactly what to say, he knew I felt responsible for every Guardians death, for every loss we suffered I constantly berated myself, and Neptune always helped me to see I did all I could and that now we had to learn from the situation and continue to move forward. “Thank you my old friend…” I sighed as I lay back down in bed, Neptune making a small surprised noise as the sheets shifted and he had to dart back up to avoid being thrown off the bed. Hopefully now sleep would actually come to me and not bring an unwanted guest with it.

­  
__________________________________________________

Sera – Her bedroom – Stupidly late at night  
­__________________________________________________

  
I was gasping for air, but no matter how much I tried I just could not fill my lungs, I was panicking and so was Orion, he was darting back and forth in front of me, probably saying something but I had no idea what. Though all of a sudden he stopped, looked at me and rammed into my face causing me to let out a rather sharp gasp and I felt the air rush into my lungs and it was as if time had gone from passing by agonisingly slowly to catching up with me very suddenly and violently.

**  
I am so sorry Sera! It was the only way I could think of to help you! Oh! I am such a bad Ghost! I shouldn’t hurt my Guardian! Oh! I am SO SORRY!**

  
I managed to calm my breathing and held my hand out for Orion, smiling as I felt him come to rest in my open palm. “Thank you… I needed something to take my focus away from my panicking… You did the right thing… I just… I slipped. I slipped and who knows who else got to share in my nightmare” I sighed and Orion looked up at me, his worried expression not changing.

**  
Sera… You can’t go on like this. Are you sure… completely and utterly sure you don’t want to go to Ikora about this? Meditation may help. Especially since this trauma is not physical… Are you sure you can deal with it on your own? Because I am not, I am far from convinced you can deal with it alone.**

  
I sighed and lay back slowly, Orion moving and coming to rest on the pillow next to me. “Tonight was a fluke, just having to deal with the emotions from our conversation earlier and having these nightmares… I just… I slipped up and I panicked when I realised what that meant” I stated, shifting to get more comfortable and to face Orion properly. He let out a sigh and studied me momentarily before moving back over to his little perch and making himself comfortable.

**  
I know you want to deal with this by yourself… and I will try my best to support you, but…But I won’t hide this from others if you start to slip more, if things get worst. I lost you once. I won’t lose you again.**

  
I looked over to Orion and smiled, “And I won’t lose you again… no one else is going to take the light from us and no one else is going to separate us” I sighed before yawning and closing my eyes. Hopefully this time my sleep would be peaceful and undisturbed.

  
__________________________________________________

Sera – The next morning   
__________________________________________________

  
The next morning I woke slightly later than I usually did, but only by about forty-five minutes and was out my apartment by six, though that meant the elevator was busier than usual and it stopped on all eleven floors between mine and the courtyard. By the time it arrived there were thirteen of us all squeezed into the tiny elevator, all of us trying not to step on one another or accidently grope someone and get whacked in the face or pistol whipped.

**  
Can we go to Io today if we are not needed elsewhere?**

  
Orion asked as we stepped out of the elevator, I looked to him and nodded… He probably wanted to go there because Asher did not know a Thrall chocked to death on him, and even if he did he would not make a joke out of it. “Sure we can Orion… best to just check in with everyone first, make sure we aren’t needed on other worlds… You never know, we may end up on Titan” I said in the calmest and collected voice possible, trying not to giggle as he let out an annoyed sigh.

**  
I say we get everything we can from Titan, all the important equipment and every document we can get our hands on… then blow the damned place up… Whole thing, not just the station. Use Cabal tactics…**

  
“You are really annoyed about that Thrall incident aren’t you? What about all the ones on the Moon and Earth? How do you propose we stop them from trying to eat you?” I asked moving around a group of Guardians stood chatting about the Crucible, not bothering to take their conversation to one side so others could easily navigate the tower.

**  
I don’t know… by not getting too close to them**

  
I just chuckled and walked over to Commander Zavala, surprisingly he was by himself, usually he was being hounded by several Guardians at once. “Commander… I know it is early but any chance you and the other Vanguard managed to put that list together?” I asked and he gave me a tired smile and shook his head. “Not fully, I am meeting Cayde, Ikora and Hawthorn here in a few minutes; you are welcome to join us… Though I do believe there is a chance the chicken is also attending” he commented and Orion sighed, settling on the railings and looking back over the courtyard.

  
“Serafina… Last night, did you have an intrusion? A nightmare that wasn’t your?” Commander Zavala suddenly asked and I was a little bit shocked and almost choked on the breath I was taking. This seemed to give him all the information he needed to know. “Or did you have a nightmare and found yourself out of control?” he added and I looked to Orion who was now looking up at me, pleading me to say something, anything that might give the commander some idea of what I was going through.

  
“That camp… that transmission, it has stuck with me. I can remember exactly what was said, exactly where the bodies where and what was around them… I have a good idea of how they died as well. Not long after I found the camp, a few minutes after in fact, I was attacked by those mutts the Cabal have, their war hounds, I imagine a pack was no match for powerless Guardians in damaged armour with little to no ammo” I stated, looking out over city, I did not dare to look at Orion and just did not want to look at Zavala or Neptune.

**  
Also having just lost Alexis and Phobos… it was a lot to take in… a lot you never got to deal with because we had to deal with Ghaul instead. And now we have to deal with ensuring the Cabal don’t try and exact revenge on us for exacting revenge on them… And then we have to help with rebuilding the city… and… burying our dead… It makes taking time out to deal with the emotional stuff more difficult.**

  
I sighed and glanced at Orion… of course he had to add all of that on, though he was only looking out for my wellbeing. “I just need to take my stress out on some Cabal… or Fallen; the Taken would do as well, a few Vex… Not the Hive though, Orion doesn’t want to get too close to them again” I sighed as I turned and lent back against the railings. Happy to see Cayde walking across from the other side of the courtyard, his arrival would end this conversation, well; at least I hoped it would.

  
“Floor ten, room six… If you ever need anything, someone to talk to, someone to meditate with or just someone to help train your mind… feel free to come by, at anytime… I am well acquainted with insomniac Hunters knocking on my door at all hours” Commander Zavala suddenly said before turning to greet Cayde, who much to Orion’s delight did not have his chicken with him. I just stood there processing what the Titan Vanguard had just said to me… I had never imagined him to be the type who would make such an offer to anyone, let alone a Hunter he isn’t responsible for.

  
“So, I hear you are going to be going on a treasure hunt for us… finding us all sorts of goodies to build stuff with” Cayde chuckled as he moved around Zavala and lent on the railings next to me. “Yeah… Hope there is a nicely wrapped package at the end for me this time, not just an invite to your poker night which everyone is always invited to” I stated and Cayde let out a sheepish laugh before looking to Zavala. “I am sure we can find something for the lovely Serafina to say thank you for getting shot at instead of us… or… You can, my presents always seem to get rejected” Cayde sighed smiling at his fellow Vanguard who simply nodded before waving to Ikora as she walked towards us.

  
“Good morning Zavala, Cayde… Serafina, I would have imagined you’d take the opportunity to have a lay in whilst we were putting together the list of resources we require you to retrieve for us” the Warlock Vanguard stated and I just smiled at her. “I had an extra hour almost… though as I am sure you are aware, Hunter’s don’t do well in confined spaces… Probably why our apartments are always tidy, we are never there” I said smiling, Cayde just let out a snort of laughter… His was probably the exception to that. “Well, it is good to have you here, your opinion and knowledge of our enemies will be most helpful” Ikora stated with a smile.

  
“So what were you two talking about before we showed up? Saw you having what looked like a pretty interesting discussion yesterday” Cayde suddenly asked and before either myself or Zavala could answer Orion answered for us both.

**  
We were talking about the price we pay to be Guardians and about how your chicken tried to eat me… Speaking of which… where is your feathered friend?**

  
Cayde just chuckled whilst Ikora looked rather thoughtful, probably thinking about the topic of the price we pay instead of listening to Cayde explain where his chicken was.

  
“Well… You see it is like this… Someone stole Colonel and won’t give him back until I publically promise to train him to treat Ghosts better, I personally think it is you and Louis in cahoots” Cayde stated, pointing an accusing finger at Orion, I simply chuckled and looked to Orion whose shell was twisting furiously and he was trying to form a reply but was just making random noises instead.

 **** _  
From what I have heard I don’t think Orion would risk getting close to Colonel again… I know I wouldn’t_  
Thank you! Thank you very much Neptune

  
I sighed and pushed myself off the railings and rolled my shoulders back freezing as I spotted someone I thought was dead. “Jackal…” I muttered and Ikora looked from me to where the Titan stood staring back at me, a sad smile on his face, I knew someone from Fireteam Beast survived but I was under the impression it was Maria.

  
“I’ll be right back…” I muttered as I headed over to the Exo, meeting halfway where I just hugged him. “You bastard! I thought you were dead” I scolded as I pulled back from the hug, playfully hitting him in the chest causing him to chuckle.

 

“Well I thought you were to for a fair while… got to watch you fall from their command ship, didn’t see you again until we took back the city, and even then I wasn’t sure if it was you until afterwards” he replied and I just smiled and looked at him for a minute. I hadn’t seen a familiar friendly face outside of the Vanguard in a while, it was nice, and it was something I had needed.

  
“Yeah well… thought I would give freefalling a shot…” I joked causing Jackal to chuckled and pull me into another hug, though this time it was tighter and seemed like he needed it more for reassurance that I was real.

“You OK?” I asked as I hugged him back and he pulled back, shaking his head.

“I swore I saw Maria the other day, followed this Warlock through the EDZ for an hour… Wasn’t her… I knew it wouldn’t be… I mean, I saw her die; I buried her so how could it possibly be her?” he answered and my heart ached for him, he and Maria were so close, he had told me he loved her but could never find the confidence to tell her… Now his chance had passed and she was gone.

“Jackal, I am so sorry… I know how much she meant to you” I sighed and he just shrugged and looked over my shoulder.

“Looks like they want you back… just remember to do your own thing as well. I know how much you love running a strike and getting to take out the bad guy” he said before patting me on the shoulder and heading off towards Lord Shaxx. I turned to see Hawthorn and Louis were stood with the Vanguard, all patiently waiting.

**  
Poor Jackal… I really hope you find the love of your life Sera…**

  
I smiled at Orion and started to walk back towards the Vanguard. “Maybe one day Orion… though if I don’t so be it, at least I have you like I said yesterday” I said and Orion nodded and I took a deep breath as we approached the Vanguard.

  
“Sorry about that… I thought Jackal had died in the attack so it was a bit of a shock to see him wandering around the Tower” I stated, Cayde just nodded before clapping his hands together causing everyone else to look at him.

“OK… Touching reunion aside, we need resources and as you have probably guessed Dead Orbit want a great big ship; The War Cult want ammunitions and New Monarchy want enough materials to build an official building in the city where a ruler could live… I told all of them we would consider their requests but the needs of the city’s population comes first, naturally all of them think that getting them what they want is in the best interest of the city’s population, never mind medical facilities or living spaces” Cayde stated and Zavala sighed whilst Hawthorn just shook her head, Ikora didn’t really react though, she was an almost unreadable woman at times.

**  
Can I point out if we find a ship large enough… I am calling dibs**

  
I just rolled my eyes at Orion’s comment whilst Cayde and Hawthorn chuckled, and I swore Zavala smirked whilst Ikora did the right thing and ignored his comment like the others should have. “If we put aside what the factions want you need medical supplies and building supplies… those things I will happily search for, but until the city is stable, the factions can find someone else to run round doing their bidding” I stated and Commander Zavala nodded and looked to Hawthorn.

“Are you aware of anywhere we can acquire medical supplies in the EDZ… there are some on Titan, but the Fallen there have lay claim to them and I would like to avoid fire fights where at all possible” the Titan asked and Hawthorn looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

“There is an old hospital about thirty miles from Maevic Square, though it is overrun with Fallen… we are not going to be able to avoid a fire fight, not whilst looking for medical supplies in an area those thieves have a foothold” Hawthorn stated and I looked to Orion.

“You think Jackal is still as good with a shotgun as he was when we last worked with him?” I asked and Orion looked at me and nodded.

**  
I imagine he is probably even better now, having had more practice at the reloading part**

  
I chuckled as I remembered having to manhandle a Hive Knight off of Jackal when I was out of both ammo and knives and he had forgotten to reload his shotgun so the Knight was about to rip his face off.

“You will need another Guardian to give you a fighting chance… is there anyone you and Jackal have worked with? Someone you would trust to have your back in the field?” Ikora asked and I sighed, shrugging my shoulders.

“I don’t know… I don’t know who is alive and who is dead” I rather bluntly stated and everyone was quiet for a moment, I had not realised just how bluntly I had put that statement when it left my lips and was now regretting saying it in the first place.

**_  
Luca Reeves… he is alive and my records show he has worked with both Serafina and Jackal-39 in the past. He is currently deployed in the EDZ so would be available to scout the area ahead of their arrival so they will not be going in blind._ **

  
I sighed, a little too loudly it turns out as Cayde looked at me with a funny expression. “I thought you got on with Luca…” he commented, the confusion clear in his voice and I sighed, inwardly this time, and looked at him.

“He is a talented Guardian and Hunter but he is an insatiable flirt who has an obsession with female Awoken” I replied, this time meaning to be blunt.

“Ah… Yes, that would make things, awkward… weird… creepy… Pick one” Cayde replied and Ikora stepped in before Cayde could list more adjectives.

“I am sure you can deal with him for one day. If we need more supplies I am sure you and Jackal can handle the much smaller number of Fallen on Titan without another individual’s assistance” Ikora suggested and I nodded, I could manage that... I could always shoot him in the back of the head accidently if he got too annoying.

  
“Very well, if we give him today to gather as much intelligence on the area as possible and send the three of you in tomorrow… as for building supplies I will speak with Fireteam Darkness, get them to track down what we require, allowing you to focus on the medical supplies” Commander Zavala stated and I nodded and looked to Orion who smiled at me.   


**Does that mean we can go to Io today?**  
  


I chuckled and nodded and the little Ghost whizzed round my head a couple of times before coming to a half in front of my face and pressing the top of his shell against my nose in a show of affection. I just smiled and moved to place a small kiss on his shell.  


****_I wish you were half as affectionate towards me as that  
  
_

I chuckled at Neptune’s comment whilst Commander Zavala sighed and looked to me. “I never had any complaints about how affectionate I was towards Neptune until yesterday… Just to let you know” he stated and I just chuckled.  


****_Because I didn’t realise what I was missing out on… It is all well and good saying you love me and are happy to have me as your constant companion but showing it wouldn’t hurt, especially after all we went through getting to Titan…  
  
_

At Neptune’s comment about getting to Titan Commander Zavala tensed and I was not the only one to see it. Everyone had noticed, even Neptune so he didn’t push any further.   


“Well, before I cause another argument between a Guardian and their Ghost I am going to head to Io because there are no Thrall there and Orion doesn’t like Thrall… or Chicken” I said backing up and waving to everyone before turning and heading towards the hanger bay.   


**Great… Now Cayde is going to tell Ikora why I don’t like Thrall! Did you have to say that Sera? Did you really have to say that?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts in this chapter are Orion and Neptune;  
> Orion speaks in - Bold  
> Neptune speaks in - Bold italics


	3. Chapter 3 - Beautiful Blue Eyes

__________________________________________________

Sera – Io – Coming up to midday  
__________________________________________________

I let out a content sigh as my feet touched the ground on Io; it was nice to be off Earth and able to just do what I wanted… well, at least until Asher realised I was here and decided he had a list of jobs for me to do.

**So… I hear there are some interesting caves in the Lost Oasis…**

“Oh… and who did you hear that little bit of information off?” I asked and Orion just bobbed along beside me as I looked round, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Io… It was stunning world despite the Vex presence… and the Taken.

**Jackal’s Ghost told me… He acquired a map that showed him where the lost sectors were… I may have persuaded him to share it.**

I just chuckled and held out my palm, Orion obliged and floated into my palm and showed me the map. “Very well. Mark the one in the top corner of it…We’ll go check that one out and then maybe see about the one near the Rupture” I stated and Orion did as I had requested before closing the map and vanishing in a little flash of light.

**Onwards trusty Guardian… to the Lost Oasis and it’s lost sectors!**

I sighed and shook my head… I needed to stop letting Orion listen to Rahool’s stories whilst I spoke with Banshee or Shaxx, last week he referred to the Hive and Fallen on Titan as pirates looting our treasure and the week before that he wanted to be the first Ghost to land on a planet in a spaceship he built himself. It seems this week he was a Knight and I had become his steed… I really hope he didn’t want me to find a damsel in distress to rescue… That would be taking things too far.

I took a few more steps forward, summoned my Sparrow and made for the Lost Oasis, it was not too far from the Giant’s Scar and as long as I sped up when we passed the Vex or Taken the drive wasn’t too bad.

**Oooh… Look how pretty it is… and it is so quiet!**

I smiled at Orion’s words as we came to a stop amongst the roots of a dead tree; the map indicated that the lost sector was not far from us. I looked up and glanced around. “There… that cave entrance has the same markings on as the ones in the EDZ, that has to be it” I stated as I turned the Sparrow to face that direction and boosted us across the Lost Oasis and to the entrance of the cave.

**It is… beautiful, I wonder what awaits us on the inside…**

I dismounted the Sparrow and took a few steps forward, my feet hardly making a sound apart from small splashes as I walked through the shallow water. The yellow stone formed an archway almost, if I didn’t know any better I would have assumed it was carved. “It is beautiful… though best be on our guard, we have no idea what could be waiting for us in there” I said and as Orion appeared beside me, nodding at my warning.

**On guard… Got it…**

I entered through the archway, there was a small open space, some sort of fossilised plant or weird creature imbedded in the rock, half of it sticking out, almost like it was trying to escape before the rock had consumed it. As I walked further in the open space narrowed into darker tunnels, those same fossils coming out of the tunnel walls and ceiling. Though after a few more feet a familiar grey wall with a metal structure exposed appeared, an all too familiar blue light travelling between two points… It was a Vex construction of some kind, not a large one though, another few feet and it was out of my line of sight.

**It is getting rather dark in here…**

I nodded in agreement as I moved forward, it seemed to me like the tunnel closed in even more and all light was sucked from this section, the only light coming from another Vex wall up ahead, once again it was a small one, but still there all the same. Though as I rounded another corner the light retuned and the tunnels opened out into a beautiful cavern… though I was unable to admire it for long as it was filled with Vex.

I crouched behind a rock quickly, glancing down at the Vex a few times before moving from behind my cover. Seven shots fired from Strum and seven Vex were dead and only a Minotaur, one Harpy and one Goblin remained in the lower area of the cavern though I was well aware of three Goblins to my left. A well aimed vortex grenade took care of them. Though before I could turn my attentions back to the Minotaur and his two buddies the Goblin got off a lucky shot and I darted back behind the rock, Orion quickly healing the wound to my left shoulder. “Damned Vex… What power weapon is loaded and ready to go?” I asked Orion and suddenly found myself holding my old faithful Mos Epoch III rocket launcher… That should make a dent or two in their shiny bodies.

I took a few deep breaths, stood and moved from behind my cover. To my delight the three remaining Vex had gathered in one place, waiting for me to reappear, they started to move, to aim, but were too slow, I was quicker and gun was bigger. The explosion echoed around the cavern, it was like music to my ears for a moment before that all changed and the sound of artillery fire replaced it.

__

_We ran along the top of the command ship, taking out the Cabal as we went, their Psions were a pain in the ass though, seems the ones in the Red Legion could actually aim. “Sera! You need to take them out or we’ll never get through!” Phobos called and I quickly switched to my sniper rifle, peeked out from behind my cover, took aim and fired. One down._

_“I need you to draw them out! They aren’t as stupid as some we’ve encountered! They know what cover is!” I called and Alexis nodded before shouting something back though I couldn’t hear him over the sound of the Cabal firing their cannons at the city. They were deafening and despite being out in the opened the sound seemed to echo._

____

**The Grove of Ulan-Tan…**

I glanced to Orion… The Grove of what? Was that what this place was called? I looked back down at the cavern… Sunlight streamed in from an opening in the cavern ceiling, several trees were growing, their trunks thick and sturdy looking, branches covered in beautiful blue and green leaves… They were stunning, so perfect… I glanced round some more, there was even a stream in here… though the water didn’t look like water, it looked like the sky, in that period as the sun set and the stars started to shine. It was a blue that reminded me of Commander Zavala’s eyes… Wait… Where the hell did that come from?

I stood up right and shook my head… had I really just compared the water to Commander Zavala’s eyes?

**Sera? You alright? You look like you’ve seen a Ghost… Well… You have but… Oh you know what I mean, is everything alright?**

I looked to Orion and smiled at him. “Everything is fine, I just… I had an odd thought is all, surprised myself. Like you did that time when you got your knew shell and flew past the mirror” I stated and Orion chuckled moving with me as I made my way down to the bottom of the cavern to explore it further.

**That was rather amusing and startling at the same time. I hadn’t expected to look so different**

I chuckled and walked over to the stream, crouching beside it and dipping my hand into the water, it was warm, slightly colder than I had my baths, but not by much… The water was so odd, it was like it had the reflections of stars living in it, I had never seen water like it.

**There is a microorganism back on Earth that lives in the water and whenever it is disturbed it glows like this water is right now… though I don’t think the cause is the same as this water seems to always have patches that glow… Maybe a related microorganism**

“A possibility… scan it and then compare the two, it may interest Ikora I guess…” I muttered before standing and following the direction the stream flowed. It went further into the cavern through some more tunnels, though I could see where it would open out from here, there was what looked to be a bigger pool of water, and as I glanced at my radar I became aware there was something moving around in there. Most likely more Vex.

As I walked through the tunnel I reloaded Strum and switched to Drang, if I used up my sidearm ammo first it would put more into Strum making it easier to deal with a larger number of Vex. Though as I entered the cavern it quickly became apparent there were only four occupants, three Goblins and a Harpy, the Harpy took three shots to its beady little eye whilst the Goblins only took two shots to their cores.

**You’re good at killing Vex… then again; they keep what is essentially their hearts in a glass container in their bellies for all to see… Makes you question how intelligent they really are.**

I laughed and looked round. The water was slightly deeper in here, but not by much, tree roots lined the walls and there was a haze in the air… Though it was rather warm, I was sweating under all my armour. “Come on… let’s see what is in the next cavern” I sighed as I made my way through the water and through another tunnel, this one was pretty dull, yellow and green stone walls, a few tree roots and fossils and the almost obligatory Vex wall making an appearance.

“Wow… this is stunning” I whispered as we came into the next cavern, though once again I was not allowed much time to admire the view as the six Vex who were occupying this particular cavern wanted me dead. Nothing new there then…

A well placed grenade took care of the two to my right whilst my smoke bomb disorientated another two across the cavern from me, allowing me to stab the two standing on my left side to death. By the time the other two had got their bearings back it was too late, I had Drang aimed at their vital parts and had pulled the trigger.

**You know, one day we’ll go somewhere beautiful like this and no one will shoot at us, and on that day it is going to feel really weird… I am so used to others trying to kill us… it seems odd to think about times in the future where that won’t happen**

I just nodded and looked round, slowly circling one o the large tree trunks that rose up from the round and disappeared into the ceiling, I could feel the texture of it through my gloves, it was smooth but the rings in the wood made it feel bumpy. The water making a satisfying splashing sound under my feet… It was calming, reminded me of happier times.

__

_I smiled as I watched the children run round the park, the water they were running through being thrown up and glistening in the air like shards of glass before returning to the ground, gentle splashing noises ringing out as it did so._

_“Remember when we were that young?” Alexis asked and I chuckled and looked to him, was he seriously asking a question he knew the answer to… Or was he just seeing if Phobos has got used to his sense of humour yet. Whilst the Exo was funny in himself he had not grasped Alexis’ sense of humour yet._

_“No… No Guardian does, we awake with no memories of our past lives, not even a name… so how could we remember when we were that young?” The Exo stated and I burst out laughing whilst Alexis chuckled. He would probably never fully understand Alexis’ sense of humour but that made everything all the funnier for me._

___

**Shall we continue on Sera?**

I smiled and nodded, looking towards the tunnel we needed to pass through next, it was pretty much the same as all the others, only there was no Vex wall, instead there were three Goblins who were taken care of as quickly and silently as possible. The white fluid dripped from my blade onto the ground, a quick flick of the wrist splattered the fluid left on the blade over the cavern walls before placing it back in its sheath.

When I entered the next Cavern there was yet another pool, though this pool did not seem as still as the others, though it quickly became apparent that was a trick of the light, it was perfectly still apart from where the Vex were walking through it. Mostly Goblins, a few Harpies and a big Minotaur who would be fun to fight.

I crouched by a rock, waiting silently for them to group together a little more before catapulting myself over the rock and into the air, firing Shadow-shot at the Minotaur and tethering his little group of followers to him. Any damage one was dealt, the others would receive as well. I switched to my rocket launcher, this was going to be messy and loud, but it would be quick.

And it was.

I stood in the pool of water, between throwing myself over the rock and landing I had taken every Vex in the cavern out with one rocket and my super ability. Years of fighting the Vex and our other enemies had resulted in a set of well honed skills.

I took a deep breath in, slowly letting it out as I pulled myself up out of the pool and noticed a chest sat on some rocks. I walked over to it, kneeling in front of it; Orion scanned it, observed it for a moment and then scanned it again. As it opened Glimmer spilt out as well as several pieces of armour, none of it was Vex tech… had they even attempted to open it? Or were they guarding it in the hope that one day it would open and hold the key to defeating us inside it? Because if so they would have been bitterly disappointed.

**Well, this is pretty much junk though I am sure Banshee will buy the parts from you…**

I sighed and nodded, Orion collected the items up and stored them somewhere… I really should enquire about that someday, where everything he picks up goes… Until then I could explore Io a little more.

I stood and walked over to the ledge and looked down, it was where we had entered from… though just across was another ledge that water was slowly trickling down from. It was an easy enough jump, as long as the rocks were not too slippery I could easily land there and have a stable foothold.

**If you fall I am telling Cayde… Karma for the Thrall thing and all…**

“When have you known me not to make a jump little light?” I asked backing up a little bit and then running back up to the ledge and leaping across to the other one. Easy.

**I am not little and I am a Ghost and I am called Orion! Oh! If I ever see that Exo again I am giving her a piece of my mind!**

I just laughed at Orion’s little rant as he floated over to me and I stepped up the few rocks and followed the little tunnel back, it went nowhere and contained nothing of interest, just the stream and some grass. Pretty boring really, though it was calming and pretty breathtaking for a boring little tunnel that led nowhere.

**Shall we head to The Rupture? See what is of interest there?**

I nodded and sighed, walking back to the entrance of the little tunnel and jumping down to the lower part of the cavern, making my way back through the tunnels and out into the open air of Io.

“I am feeling a little lazy… Call the ship” I muttered as I shot a Taken Thrall and dodged out the way of the Wizard, becoming invisible and making my way to cover. It was only for a few moments however, my ship arrived swiftly and I was soon in the pilot’s seat, Orion sat next to me looking out the window as he set the coordinates and we moved off.

**I hope we can find the Lost Sector near the Rupture, it would be great to be able to find two in one day…**

I sat back in my seat and smiled, it would be nice, finding forgotten places and discovering their secrets was much more fun than searching for supplies and getting shot at. However supplies were required… and I was getting shot at today anyway, so that didn’t make much of a difference.

**And we are here… You know, it wouldn’t have taken that much longer to use your Sparrow or your feet right?**

“Like I said… I am feeling lazy” I replied.

**You know what, I don’t think I could tell…**

“Your sarcasm will get you in trouble one day Orion” I playfully warned the little Ghost.

**And you’ll be there to save me**

“You mean like with the Thrall?” I chuckled, Orion giving me an odd look.

**Like you said, if I had been in any real danger you would have saved me… You love me remember**

“Doesn’t mean I like you… You don’t always like the ones you love” I retorted, smiling at him.

**We all know you like me; we all know you love me… Now come on, we have another lost sector to find!**

I just chuckled and looked round, I could see the symbol indicating something hidden and started to move towards it as silently as possible, hopefully Asher had not and would not notice me. He always had something for me to do, and usually a few insults to go with it followed by the most awkward thank you I had ever heard.

__________________________________________________

Sera – Io, The Rupture lost sector – Mid afternoon  
__________________________________________________

**Well… That was… Fun**

I sighed and sat down next to the chest whilst Orion opened it; Glimmer spilling out along with some Tokens Asher was always after. I should probably go by his little make-shift research station and drop them off… Though that did mean having to speak to him… but he did want them…

“It was most certainly fun, though I am ready for a bath and to never have to deal with the Taken again… Especially ones who explode and get this horrid stuff all over the place” I muttered lifting my arm up and watching the unsettlingly black goo drip from it and onto the floor.

**Hmmm… Maybe next time we bring an umbrella with us?**

“Or we just don’t stand so close and we make use of all the cover available to us… Then we can avoid getting covered in this stuff… I mean, at least it doesn’t smell but it isn’t exactly pleasant to be covered in and I have a feeling this isn’t going to be easy to wash out my cloak” I stated, giving the stuff a sniff for good measure, I didn’t want to go back to the tower smelling worst than the Hive did.

**Anything in this cave make you stop, think and surprise yourself?**

I took a deep breath and sat back against the rock and looked to Orion, my focus shifting from the icky black goo to my earlier thoughts about how the water in that cave had reminded me of Commander Zavala’s eyes… why had my mind gone straight to him? Straight to his eyes… I mean, they were amazing eyes, so blue, so beautiful…

**Sera… your daydreaming again… What was that thought that surprised you?**

I sighed and looked to Orion; he had gone from looking at the contents of the chest to floating directly in front of my face. “It was just about the water… it was the way it reminded me of the sky… The blue also reminded me of someone’s eyes” I muttered, hoping he didn’t catch the last part but he did.

**Oh! Whose! Oh! Don’t tell me, let me guess! Urmmm… Who has blue eyes… Cayde!**

I chuckled and shook my head, gently pushing Orion out of my face as I pushed myself up onto my feet, collecting up the tokens and slipping them into one of the pouches on my belt. “It is not Cayde… though his eyes are very similar I guess. Want to guess again?” I asked and Orion nodded, following me out of the cavern, making thoughtful little noises as we headed over to where Asher was, furiously tapping away on his little computer then flicking through his book before returning to his computer. He was so engrossed in what he was doing he had not heard nor seen me approach.

**Banshee! He has blue eyes!**

Orion’s sudden thought and verbalisation of it caused Asher to jump and glare at us as. “Assistant! As much as I am aware you need your Ghost in order to be useful to me in the field maybe you could teach it about what is referred to as an indoor voice” the cranky researcher commented and I just sighed and pulled the tokens out of the pouch on my belt and handed them to him. “Though no worries if not… as long as you keep bringing me items and information of use I am sure I can put up with the annoying little Ghost” Asher added on and I found myself smirking whilst Orion just glared at the old Awoken.

**… Indoor voices are for indoors or when surrounded by the enemy and hiding… Not talking to allies outside in a safe location…**

My smirk rather quickly vanished as Asher glared at Orion and Orion returned the look. “Well! Best be off… You know how to reach me if you need me… Bye!” I hastily blurted out as I backed away from Asher, grabbing and dragging Orion with me.

**What was that for Sera? I could take him if I wanted to!**

I just chuckled and gestured for him to summon the ship. “I am sure you could, but it is probably not wise to antagonise him, he has been through a lot and puts a lot of stress on himself… He doesn’t need your remarks to add to that” I said and Orion just sighed and looked back at the old Awoken, once more working away, another Guardian approaching him with some tokens and also getting yelled at for sneaking up on people.

**Fine… I’ll be nice to him in the future**

Orion sighed as I smiled at him, though before either of us could say anything we were transported onto our ship, a preset course was already laid into the navigation system to take us to the tower.

**First thing we do when we get back is head straight to the apartment and get you cleaned up… I don’t want all the other Ghosts to thing I don’t take care of you…**

“You know, sometimes I feel like a glorified pet… Do Ghosts just have competitions to see who has the best groomed Guardian and who’s Guardian had been to the coolest places?” I asked as the ship took us home. Orion just shrugged, keeping his one little eye on the control board.

**Incoming Transmission… It is from Commander Zavala**

  * Luca will meet you and Jackal in the square at four in the morning…. And remember… If you need someone to talk to no matter the hour I am more than willing to listen –



**You know… You should take him up on that offer; he is a very experienced Guardia and has fought many battles. Maybe talking to him about how you have been feeling will help… especially if you keep having nightmares, you always look so tired the next day, and having to be up so early tomorrow it would not be a good start to what will very likely be a hard day…**

I smiled and looked to Orion, taking my helmet off and setting it down on my lap, Orion transmatting it away within seconds. “I will think about it Orion… but tonight I just want a nice hot bath and to get rid of this horrible feeling. I don’t think I have ever felt this dirty despite having been down into the depths of the Hellmouth” I said, Orion looked at me concerned for a moment before sighing and nodding. He could not deny I needed a bath and had even stated it should be the first thing I did upon returning to the tower, and I planned on it being the first thing, nothing was changing that.

__________________________________________________

Zavala – The Tower – Early evening  
__________________________________________________

  
I stood talking with Ikora and Cayde about recent events when I noticed a familiar ship go over… Serafina, back from Io, her Ghost had confirmed that she received my message though there was no reply from her regarding the matter.

“Yo! Zavala… You listening?” Cayde asked and I took a breath in and looked to him, both he and Ikora were looking at me as if expecting an answer to a question or a comment on a matter. “He wasn’t listening Ikora… Probably thinking about how tasty Colonel would be between two slices of bread with some lettuce” Cayde sighed causing Ikora to let out a quiet laugh before looking to me with a very soft and motherly expression.

“What is on your mind Zavala? You have been distracted recently… is something the matter?” she asked and I shook my head, letting out the breath I had not realised I was holding in.

**_He has a woman on his mind… But he won’t tell me who she is_ **

I looked to Neptune and sighed, he was not as chatty as Orion but at least it seemed like Orion could keep a secret as he did not out Serafina when I asked about the nightmare, though he was obviously worried for her.

**_I have a theory on who it is though… But I need to collect more data before I can calculate the possibility of my theory being correct_ **

“Oooh, the great Commander Zavala has a crush” Cayde joked, causing him to receive and elbow to his equivalent of ribs from Ikora.

“If recent events have taught us anything it is that you should not take anything or anyone for granted… You never know what tomorrow could bring” Ikora stated and I smiled at the two of them and nodded.

“You are right… However I have responsibilities to my Titans and to the other Guardians as their commander. That takes up a lot of my time, a relationship may not survive under such a strain” I replied, Ikora simply gave a gentle smile whilst Cayde rolled his eyes.

“Then you never wanted the relationship in the first place… what we want most in life is never easy to obtain nor to keep safe and secure, if it were then the Golden Age would have never ended and we would not be needed” he said before turning, scooping up his chicken and heading for the hanger bay.

“Whilst he has a point, it is up to you my friend… Though remember, we all deserve to be happy in this life, after all, it is a long one” Ikora stated before turning and walking back towards the Bazaar… They were right. But, there was more to it than simply wanting a relationship.

“You know Neptune… I was wondering if Serafina would take me up on my offer of a shoulder to lean on… Not about pursuing a romantic interest… Just to let you know” I stated and my Ghost looked at me, his shell making a movement that let me know he was shrugging.

**_Either way…_ **

I just sighed and looked over the courtyard, Guardians were milling around, chatting with one another, going from vendor to vendor. At least both Cayde and Ikora had been supportive of the idea that I may enter into a relationship… though would others be so supportive?

__________________________________________________

Sera – Her apartments’ bathtub – That evening  
__________________________________________________

“Oooooh… So good” I sighed as I lay back in the bath, my aching muscles starting to relax, the smell of the lavender bubble bath calming my mind and allowing me to focus solely on my breathing. As I felt my entire body relax and my mind start to clear I closed my eyes and focused on those around me.

__

_“What do you mean diet? I know Ghosts are supposed to look out for their Guardian but you could be a little less brutal!”_

_“You want to catch a sea monster with that? Is there even really one on Titan?”_

_“Cayde’s chicken tried to eat my Ghost… Again… That thing really needs a muzzle”_

_“I do wonder what Lord Shaxx looks like…I’ve never seen him without his helmet on”_

_“You know how we have no memories of our past life… I wonder if we have worked with our relatives and neither of us had a clue…”_

_“Your Light is what makes you a Guardian. Embrace that… Was that ever really true? Did I ever really believe it when I said it?”_

____

As my mind wondered through the tower, hearing snippets of conversations, stray thoughts, unprotected by their owners and free to any Awoken to hear or feel I found myself relaxing more and more… Until a very specific voice made its way into my mind… I retreated back to my own mind, to my own closed off and safe haven where my thoughts were held in and kept secure. The thoughts I was processing… the thoughts about him… If they slipped... If he heard them…   


**Sera… You’ve gone bright red… Is the water too warm for you? Are you thinking of Banshee? Is it him? You never answered earlier? We got yelled at and interrupted… So?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts in this chapter;  
> Orion - Bold  
> Neptune - Italics


	4. Chapter 4 - On The Outskirts Of My Mind

**__________________________________________________**

**Zavala – His apartment in The Tower – Late evening  
__________________________________________________**

Much to Neptune’s delight I decided to call it a day a lot earlier than I had the night before, dealing with the various factions and my own thoughts had led to me feeling more tired than usual, hopefully a peaceful evening and an uninterrupted night’s sleep would help… Though neither of those things were guaranteed for various reasons.

**_Zavala, do you think it is possible you are putting off pursing a relationship because you are afraid of the loss of those you hold dear?_ **

“Neptune… I really don’t want to have this conversation right now. It has been a draining day and I would like to sit down, enjoy a book and hot chocolate before making myself some food and turning in for the night” I sighed as I discarded my armour in a pile in the corner of the room before heading over to the bookshelf and picking up a random book, then making my way over to the sofa and settling down before actually looking at the book I had chosen.

**_You don’t want to talk about it at all… this isn’t the first time I have asked you, and this isn’t the first time you’ve avoided answering it at all costs…_ **

“Well, guess in another few days we’ll have this conversation again” I stated as I looked over the cover of the book. It was a collection of poems by various authors, all with varying themes. I took a deep breath and let it out in the form of a heavy sigh before opening the book at a random page and starting from there. I knew I was being stubborn on the matter; however it was a topic I wanted to stay well clear of for now.

**_Urgh! Now I see what Orion meant when he said it is like dealing with a child!_ **

Whilst I was determined to ignore Neptune and have my relaxing evening I found it hard to ignore his outburst. Had Neptune and Orion talked about Serafina? Had they talked about me? I looked up at Neptune who was aware that his temper tantrum had resulted in him letting something slip that he should not have… Now he would have to explain himself.

“You have talked with Orion about Serafina?” I asked and Neptune just nodded before looking around the apartment, probably for something to comment on. “Have you talked with Orion about me?” I asked and Neptune looked back to me for a very brief moment before looking away and nodding. I sighed, closed the book and placed it on the coffee table. “Neptune… What did you tell him?” I asked and the Ghost let out a sigh and moved to settle on the book.

**_So… He mentioned Serafina lost two loved ones in the attack and that it had caused her a great deal of emotional distress, especially considering how they had died… I then stated you feared the loss of the ones you loved and as a result would not pursue a relationship with the Guardian you have feelings for… He stated that loss, or the fear of it, could make individuals act in strange ways… I agreed._ **

“And that is all?” I asked and he nodded… Well, it was not as bad as I thought it was and not as bad as it could have been. “Very well… Though in the future reframe from having discussions about me with other Ghosts. Whilst I trust Orion will not say anything to Serafina or anyone else for that matter not all may be as courteous” I stated, Neptune simply nodded and moved as I reached for the book and started to read it once more… However my focus was not on the words on the page, it was on something Neptune had said.

“Neptune… Serafina’s Fireteam… There was a Titan wasn’t there? Alexis…” I stated and Neptune looked to me and nodded.

**_Fireteam Constellation, originally composed of one Awoken female Hunter, one Exo male Warlock and one human male Titan… Serafina, Phobos-2 and Alexis Ward. Current status… Inactive._ **

I nodded and tried to think back to if Alexis’ name had been on the list of the confirmed dead I had received… I did not recall it being on the list. “Neptune… Has it been confirmed Alexis Ward is deceased?” I asked and he looked to me and shook his head.

**_However… Orion seemed certain both he and Phobos are deceased despite Phobos being the only one to appear on the list of the confirmed dead._ **

“Hmmm… I wonder what happened to them on that command ship… What caused Serafina to pull away and try and deal with the strain of what happened to her alone” I sighed and Neptune shifted as if uncomfortable all of a sudden. “Neptune… what is it?” I asked and the little Ghost looked up to me and sighed once more… It was becoming a habit o his.

**_Orion did send the footage he was able to capture and retain to Cayde… However Cayde, at Serafina’s request locked the footage away and did not even view it himself. Ace holds the footage of what happened from the moment they stepped foot on that command ship till their connection with the light was severed… However… he discovered he had recorded audio of what happened after his connection was severed._ **

“Serafina does not wish for others to hear how her Fireteam died as it would only raise questions of exactly what happened… Questions she does not want to have to answer” I stated and Neptune nodded.

**_Zavala… She is fragile… She is experienced and accustomed to using her telepathic abilities. To be causing her Ghost concern and losing control of her abilities, it is not a good thing. Whatever she saw on that Command Ship and during the ensuing battles… it has affected her… The aftermath is not all rebuilding and happy reunions like some think it is._ **

“You are worried about her?” I asked and Neptune nodded, moving to perch on the book once more looking up at me.

**_We are linked, I can feel what you do and you can feel what I can should I permit it… I can feel your worry for her flowing over me like waves… It is one of the many reasons I believe you care for her. More than you are willing to admit._ **

“You know, sometimes I forget just how strong the link between a Guardian and their Ghost is. Moments like this remind me” I sighed and Neptune just smiled up at me, his shell shifting and twisting as he moved from the book to the table whilst I moved to sit on the edge of the sofa.

“Neptune… turn the lights off and do not let anyone disturb me”   
**__________________________________________________**

Sera – Her apartment – Late evening  
**__________________________________________________**  
  
I sat on my bed looking out over the city… I had gotten pretty lucky getting an end room. It meant a window in the bedroom looked out onto the city and not the outside walls of the hanger, though I rarely took the time to enjoy the view… I rarely took time to enjoy anything anymore.

I was about to move to head into the kitchen and make myself some food… after my bath I had gone to the Bazaar and acquired a few things before heading down into the city for an hour and stocking up on various items, including food. Something that I always needed… Though before I even had a chance to get up off the bed I felt a familiar sensation… Someone was at the outskirts of my mind, asking for permission to enter, permission to share their emotions with me. I just took a deep breath and closed my eyes…  
__ ****  
_  
… I opened my eyes and I could sense Commander Zavala hovering on the outskirts of my mind, patiently waiting for me to either grant him permission to enter my mind or for me to deny him permission._

_I focused on him, wanting to know his intent before letting him into my mind and potentially ending up embarrassing myself by revealing I have been daydreaming about his eyes… Damn it Sera! Stop thinking about his eyes…_

_As I managed to refocus on him I nudged him, asking for him to make his intentions known… what emotions did he want to share… why did he want to share them?_

_…_  
…  
…

_I made sure my emotions were in check, anything I did not want sharing I ensured was locked away… I then allowed the link to be created._

_I gasped as I felt a wave of concern wash over me, something else mixed in with it… though by the time I had detected that hidden emotion the wave had passed and I was hit by a wave of anger and worry, images of the city burning and fighting in the streets flashed before me, then everything changed… everything shifted and guilt flowed over me, names filling my vision, some I recognised, most I did not… though the ones I recognised were names of the dead… the guilt only intensified as I realised just how many names were there, realised he knew all of them, he blamed himself for their deaths…_

_I wanted to break the link, stop the emotions and return to my safe apartment and pretend this had never happened but before I could do that a wave of relief hit me, the names were washed away and lightening filled my vision, though this was no ordinary lightning… An Arcstrider… On Titan, laying waste to the Hive… It was me… It was when I landed on Titan…_

_After the wave of relief has subsided there was pride… pride aimed at his fireteam, pride aimed at Hawthorn and the others in the EDZ and pride aimed at me… visions of a city rebuilt and ground reclaimed… No one had actually told me they were proud of me… No one had even said thank you…_

_Once all the emotions had subsided I realised Zavala had retreated from my mind, the link was still intact but he had given me the room to process what he had shown me… I found myself reaching out for him, seeking his presence out and it returned… wrapping itself around me and made sure I was alright, that I didn’t need anything, making sure it had not been too much for me._

_I took a deep breath and reached out, letting him know that as Guardians no one was responsible for our lives but us, we put them on the line daily and willingly… we all knew if any of our enemies assaulted the city outright there would be losses… so to feel guilty for the deaths, for the losses we had been dealt was unnecessary… And thanking him… he had wanted to show me I was not alone in how I felt and that it was not a burden I had to bear alone, he understood and he was willing to help me with the weight of the world on my shoulders._

_After a few minutes of nothing… of silence and his comforting presence he started to retreat, to break the connection…_

_I didn’t want him to go… but after such an intense link and such intense emotions being shared and relived we both needed to take time to process it all so I let him go. Though not before thanking him again._  
__  
  
As I opened my eyes I found myself staring through watery eyes at Orion, everything a little blurry and out of focus, I blinked a few times to clear the tears that were threatening to spill over from my eyes. The movement seemed to startle Orion as he moved back suddenly, paused and then moved towards me again.

**Sera… Are you alright?**

I took a deep breath in, slowly releasing it, and nodded at Orion. “I am fine… I just… Commander Zavala wanted to create a link and I allowed him to” I stated and Orion just made a noise of acknowledgement, continuing to nod… I wasn’t sure if he had even stopped nodding yet.

**My sensors indicated you had created a link but I had no way of knowing who with or what was being shared… you then started to get all teary eyed and I was worried… And I know it is dangerous to distract you and cause you to break the link quickly so I was not sure what to do… I don’t like being out of control like that…**

I just smiled and shifted so I was sat at the edge of the bed and looked at Orion. “Commander Zavala wanted to show me that I was not alone in how I felt and that he felt the same… he then shared various emotions he felt during the attack and in the aftermath of it all, so no need to worry. I would never create a link with someone if I thought it would cause me emotional harm or if they were after anything they have no right knowing” I stated in my best reassuring tone and Orion let out a sigh of relief and moved to perch on the edge of the bed as well.

**OK… did it help you? Do you feel better?**

“I do feel better… I imagined it would be more annoying than anything but… but it was extremely comforting and I could not help but want the link to continue… though I probably would have embarrassed myself with the fact I can’t get how amazing his eyes are out of my head” I sighed and Orion looked up at me, his little shell twisting and turning… Damn it… I hadn’t told him whose eyes I had been thinking about, after he asked if it was Banshee again I just told him it was not an Exo and he went back to thinking who it could be… Now he had the answer.

**I could stand to be around Neptune more I guess… And he does have nice eyes…**

I chuckled and glanced at him before looking back out the window… “Wait… you could stand to be around Neptune more… I just said he has nice eyes and now you are probably planning what shell to wear to the bloody wedding” I sighed flopping back onto the bed causing Orion to be tossed into the air… Luckily he was a quick thinking little Ghost and caught himself and just floated there for a little while as if trying to get his bearings.

**I mean that if you did enter into a relationship… sexual or committed… with the commander, that I would not mind having to spend more time with Neptune. And I had not! I would have to know what colour scheme you were going for first before even considering a shell…**

“And that is supposed to make it better… And… did you just insinuate that I may enter a kind of friends with benefits relationship with Commander Zavala! Do either of us seem like that type of person to you! I mean, not that I am knocking it… It, it just isn’t my style”

**I know your style… all or nothing… I just added it to see your reaction, you can be so funny at times… and Yes… Yes it is! I am a very considerate Ghost and would not want to clash with you or anyone else on your special day! Hmph! Some Guardians obviously do not know how good they have it…**

“Seriously though Orion… it is all or nothing… and right now it is nothing OK… So don’t go planning play dates with Neptune. And I am aware of how lucky I am to have you as my Ghost mister! So don’t get all uppity with me! Or I will put you back in that awful bright pink shell and take you to the EDZ… The Fallen will have a field day taking shots at you”

**You wouldn’t! That shell is awful! How is a Ghost supposed to be discrete and in that monstrosity!**

I just burst out laughing and soon found myself gasping for air… at least this time it wasn’t because of some horrible nightmare. “Oh you do make me laugh Orion… Now come on, let me get some food then we can settle down for the night” I stated and Orion nodded and followed me out the bedroom and into the kitchen.   
_______________________________________________________  
Zavala – His apartment – Late evening turning into night time  
_______________________________________________________

I slowly opened my eyes, well aware of the tears that were ready to spill out as I did so. Reliving all those emotions was hard, but Serafina needed to see she was not alone in how she felt and she did not need to be alone in how she dealt with it… and neither did I.

“I have always told other Guardians to come to me should they need support, told them they can count on me when they need me… But that has left me with no one to count on… Or, feeling like I should not have to count on anyone… I am a Titan, I am there commander, and I should be able to help shoulder their burdens, not become one…” I sighed and Neptune came to rest on my lap.

**_Zavala, you are a man who bears the burden of leadership and refuses to share it… Probably because you feel Cayde would either fix everything in a day or screw it all up in a minute… the latter being more likely in your mind… despite knowing he is a perfectly capable leader, he just needs to learn to play better with others… and with fewer guns... And less chickens. And you are well aware Ikora is more than capable of being a leader but you do not wish to place such a burden on her as it would take her away from her studies… something you know she values highly and thoroughly enjoys… Though if you asked both of them would help you… and be serious about it, especially if they realised you were in desperate need of that time away from the role… be it they do a day a week just to give you that break… and who knows… between the three of you, you might just get a lot of stuff done…_ **

I looked to Neptune… He was right… as usual. “I shall speak to them tomorrow… After the strike on the hospital, I want to oversee that myself and ensure it goes as smoothly as possible” I stated. Neptune just sighed but nodded.

**_Now, wipe your eyes, get yourself that hot chocolate and calm down… Maybe a light tea and some reading in bed would be a good idea_ **

I smiled at my Ghost, wiped my eyes and dried my cheeks before heading over to the kitchen and making myself a hot chocolate. Neptune helping by heating the milk to the temperature I liked it instantly and finding me the chocolate powder in the cupboard, it always ended up in a different place for some reason… probably because I would put it back in a different place each time, too tired to realise it was not where it had come from.   
_______________________________________________________  
Sera – Her apartment – Night time  
_______________________________________________________  
  
After having made myself a chicken salad for tea and made a few snacks for tomorrow I crawled into my bed, climbing under the covers and wriggling round till I was wrapped up nice and tightly in them and plopped my head down on my pillows with a content sigh.

**Anyone would think you are a cat Sera… Seriously… I am starting to think you are just one giant purple cat…**

“Orion… I have to be awake in six hours… shut up” I groaned

**A really rude, giant purple cat**

“Orion… I am warning you…” I sighed

**Mean, rude, giant purple cat…**

“Bright pink shell” I stated, not caring if he saw the smirk on my face

**I love you, you are wonderfully kind and a beautiful shade of purple… lovely Awoken…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts in this chapter speak as follows;  
> Orion - bold  
> Neptune - bold italics


	5. Chapter 5 - I Can't Lose You Again*

_______________________________________________________

Sera – The Tower, her bedroom – Three in the morning  
_______________________________________________________

**Sera! It is three… You have to be up and in the hanger in the next half an hour or you’ll get yelled at!**

I groaned… Was… Was Orion singing that statement to me?

**Sera! Come on sleepy head! Wake up and go shoot stuff!**

Oh god… A singing Ghost at three in the morning… Just what a sleepy Hunter needed…

**Seriously Serafina! Get your ass out of bed this instant or I will be telling… Someone… I will tell someone!**

I just smirked and rolled over to look up at the alarm clock I had acquired when I had been brought back from the dead; it was a great alarm clock… Only issue was there was no snooze button.

**Come on you… The sooner you are there, shooting and looting and back, the sooner you can see those amazing eyes…**

  
“I am going to kill you Orion… and you’ll never see it coming” I growled, Orion not budging.

**  
I don’t think so… now come on unless you want me to tell Cayde…**

  
“You are mean” I pouted, maybe a change in tactics would work.

**  
You need to get out of bed**

  
“Fine… but no telling people about that! OK?” I sighed, he was adorable yet so annoying at times.

**  
No more talking about the Thrall thing… OK?**

  
“Deal” I stated, giving Orion a curt nod.

**  
Good… Now come on.**

  
I sighed and threw back to covers, clambering out of my nice, warm, comfy and amazingly soft bed to look out the window at the dreary, cold and stupidly early morning. “You know what… remind me to stop looking so damned good on the battlefield and doing impossible tasks, maybe then I won’t get sent to the EDZ at four in the damned morning” I grumbled as I headed into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast whilst Orion started to run the shower so it would be up to temperature.

**  
But then you would not be in such high demand by the Vanguard and get to see those… Why are you glaring at me like that? And you know you can’t butter toast whilst holding a knife like you are about to throw it… Oh… You were about to throw it…**

  
“Drop the eye thing… Got it?” I warned, Orion just nodded and sighed, he was having fun teasing me, though he wouldn’t be having fun once I wrestled him out his favourite shell and into a bright pink one. Though hopefully it would not come to that, hopefully he would behave himself… Hopefully. “Good… Now, toast” I stated turning my attention back to the toaster and waiting for it to make the little pinging noise it made when the toast was ready…

_PING_

  
“And put the coffee on Orion… Extra strong this morning” I smiled as I slathered the butter onto my toast and started eating as I headed to the shower, shedding my pyjamas as I went. Living alone had come to have its perks, it did not matter where I got dressed or undressed, no one else was around to be embarrassed by it.

**  
Already on it…**

  
I just smiled, shovelled the last few bites of toast into my mouth, shed the rest of my clothing and slipped into the shower, the hot water making me feel a little more alert, as if it was actually washing the sleepiness from my body, though I knew that was the coffee’s job… No matter what state I was in I always felt better in myself after a shower, something about knowing I was nice and clean.

  
After a minute of just enjoying the water running over my body I began to wash my hair and once that had been washed I turned my attention to the various body washes I owned. “Hmmmm… Apple” I muttered, picking up the body wash and ensuring I was clean head to toe before rinsing myself off and switching the shower off.

  
I stepped out the shower, a puddle of water slowly forming at my feet as I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my body, heading into the kitchen to find a cup of coffee sat on the side waiting, and as usual it was the perfect colour and temperature. Obviously the Ghosts were not made to make coffee, but they sure were good at it. Talented little lights…

  
I chuckled at the thought drawing the attention of Orion who had been bobbing around the kitchen and living room, moving things about, examining various things and just generally looking for anything out of place or new that he could learn more about.

**  
What is so funny?**

  
I just sipped my coffee, smiling at him as he just observed me, obviously giving up on finding out what was funny and going back to what he was doing, probably chalking it up to it being early and me being tired.

  
“How long before I have to leave?” I asked and Orion turned and looked at me.

**  
Five minutes… do you wish for me to prepare your armour and weaponry now or on the ship?**

  
“Start now… best to be prepared” I stated, I had no idea what I was heading into.

**Very well… I suggest you start getting dressed then**

  
I simply nodded and headed for the bedroom, pretty much downing the coffee on my way and placing the mug on a random surface, hoping it would be there when I returned… More than once I had come home to find I had placed the mug on the edge of a table or shelf and it had not remained there all day and a small pool of coffee and a sea of mug shards littering my living room floor.

**  
ALSO SOMEONE IS AT THE DOOR!**

  
I sighed as Orion called after me, who the hell was at my door at this time of the morning? Maybe Jackal wanted to make sure I actually got out of bed. I quickly threw on my underwear, a tank top and some shorts before grabbing the under suit I also wore to stop my armour rubbing and made my way to the door. As it opened I smiled at Jackal stood there, happy to see me awake and pretty much ready to go. Sleep was not required for an Exo to function however many did ‘rest their eyes’ for a few hours each night.

  
“Hey… come in, I am almost ready” I stated moving out the way and back into my apartment, wrestling myself into the under suit and grabbing the snacks I had made out of the fridge. “I made snacks… Not that you’ll actually need them… Gagh! I hate this thing” I growled as I flopped backwards onto the sofa, pulling my ankles through the leg holes and shimming it up my body.

  
“Aren’t you just the epitome of gracefulness Sera” Jackal commented and I just glared at him as I stood and wiggled till to under suit slid up my body and I could wrangle my arms in and zip it up at the front.  
  
“Aren’t I just… Orion… Armour, though save the helmet till we are in the EDZ and on the ground” I stated and he nodded and I was suddenly kitted out in all my armour, my helmet the only thing I was not wearing.

**  
Suited and booted and ready to go!**

  
“Yes we are… You know where we are meeting Luca?” I asked and Jackal looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding at me. Good, at least Zavala had made sure everyone knew the plan, it was always helpful.

 “Yeah, at the square… You ready to go?” Jackal asked and I looked round… I had everything, had my armour on, snacks… Orion. I nodded and we headed out and started walking down to the hanger bay where Hawthorn, Cayde and Commander Zavala were waiting.

**  
Good morning all! All bright eyed and bushy tailed!**

  
I glared at Orion as he looked to me at the ‘bright eyed’ part of his statement... He was going to be such a pain in the ass with this enter ‘pretty eyes’ thing.  


“It is half three in the morning and we are about to send you on a dangerous mission that could result in your deaths… Save the perky comments for when you are back safe and sound Orion” Cayde sighed and I just pushed a strand of hair out my face and looked to Commander Zavala… He looked tired but was smiling gently at us all.

  
“Myself and Hawthorn will be on the comms throughout the day providing support and helping resolve any issues you encounter” He stated and I nodded and looked to Jackal who nodded and headed towards his ship whilst Hawthorn and Cayde headed over to the comms room. I was sure I would be hearing the Exo’s voice over the comms as well.

  
I was about to head over to my ship when I stopped myself and turned to Zavala.

  
“By the way… Thank you” I said and he looked to me and smiled… I was sure when he smiled his eyes glowed brighter and I got a fluttering feeling in my stomach.

  
“You are welcome, and if you need me at all, the offer still stands, anytime of day or night” he said and I smiled and took a few steps back.

  
“I’ll remember that… Anytime… You know hunters are notorious for suffering with insomnia so you may end up regretting that” I laughed and he just gestured for me to leave, an almost playful smile on his face and I turned and headed over to my ship.

**  
How sweet of him… He is such a caring individual; you can see it in his eyes…**

  
“You know how some Guardians stick signs to their friends backs as a joke? I am going to stick one to you that says ‘Thrall Food’ and then we are going to go down into the Hellmouth and see how well that ends for you… That is unless you keep your end of this morning’s deal” I sighed and Orion just chuckled and took his usual spot beside me as I strapped myself in and got ready or take off.

**  
You are aware the Hive would not be able to read it**

  
“I will get Neptune to translate it for me… Or Ace, Ace wouldn’t question it, neither would Cayde” I pointed out.

**  
I thought we agreed not to bring that up**

  
“You started it! Now stop trying to be subtle about the eye comments” I exclaimed, his could be a cheeky Ghost at times.

**  
I am not trying to be subtle…**

  
“Good, I just thought you were terrible at being subtle… Then again, that means you are doing it to annoy me” I groaned glancing to Orion and then back to my ships controls.

**  
Maybe… Or maybe I am doing it because it is interesting to see an Awoken blush**

  
“You are such an ass Orion” I commented, casting him a quick glare.

**  
And you love me and would not have me any other way**

  
“So true… now come on, Luca is waiting for us” I stated, gesturing to the controls and he just nodded.

**  
Jackal is ready to take off… We are as well, though he has priority due to being closer to the hanger door…**

  
“OK… Just let me know when I am green… Oh… And be good when we get there. Serious face” I stated, nodding at him and he nodded back before stopping and staring at me a little shocked for a moment.

 ****  
Serious face… Got it… Wait… I have one eye that it a lens… How do I do a serious face! Sera! How!  
  
  
“I have no idea… just… be informative and don’t mention eyes and you’ll be good” I chuckled as Orion furiously changed his expression again and again, trying to find a serious face. It was impossible to stay annoyed at him.  I mean, he was downright adorable!

**Jackal is taking off… We are green for engine warm up…**

  
“OK… Let me just flick a few switches and engines are warming” I stated.

**All readings stable… Jackal has departed, we are green for departure… and please don’t fly too fast… Please…**

  
“Taking us away… And I won’t so you do not need to worry about feeling travel sick… Not that you can feel sick at all” I reminded Orion who just shrugged.

**  
Oh just fly this thing to the EDZ and behave yourself won’t you**

  
“You know you sound like I imagine my mother would in these situations” I commented and Orion chuckled.

**  
I feel like it sometimes… Clear of the tower, all systems green and all readings stable**

  
“OK… Comms up and running yet?” I enquired, waiting to hear Jackal’s voice across the comms.

 _  
“Comms are up and running… I can hear you loud and clear Sera… ETA in the EDZ is an half an hour”_ Jackal’s voice stated, crackling to life over the comms. I just took a deep breath and smiled, it felt good to be going out there with other Guardians once more… Though there was a part of me that felt like I was betraying Alexis and Phobos.

  
__

_  
We all sat round the fire on Venus, Alexis was cooking us dinner whilst Phobos pointed out constellations to me… It was nights like these that made the sacrifices and getting shot at worth it._

_  
“You two… Do you think you’d ever fight with another fireteam?” Alexis suddenly asked and both myself and Phobos looked over to him, a little confused about what exactly he was asking, something he picked up on. “Do you think you’d ever leave Fireteam Constellation and join a different fireteam?” he elaborated._

_  
I smiled softly and shook my head, “You are my family… we’ve been through so much together, done so much together… The only way I will ever abandon this fireteam is if I die my final death” I stated, Phobos nodding in agreement. “Same here… I swear to serve the light by your sides for the rest of my days” Alexis stated and I looked to Phobos who gave me an amused smile. “I swear to fight by your sides for the rest of my days, unwavering in our crusade against the darkness” he stated and I sighed and shifted so I could face them both a little better._

_  
“I swear to lead you and follow you into the darkest depths, to the highest peaks and to unknown and lost worlds until death forces me to stop” I stated and we all just smiled at one another. We were not only a fireteam, we were friends and we were family._

  
__

 

I let out a deep sigh and looked out at the view before me; we were just passing over the mountains, not long now till we would be at the EDZ and on our way to rendezvous with Luca.

**  
Sera… Are you alright? You look… you look crestfallen**

  
“I am fine, just… just remembering that night on Venus, where I, Alexis and Phobos swore to fight side by side for the rest of our days… They fulfilled their… Oath, I… I just feel slightly like I am betraying them. I mean I am happy to be going back out there with a fireteam, even if it is a cobbled together one but I still… I just miss them” I replied and Orion looked to me, his little lens bright and full of life and hope.

**  
They would want you to carry on fighting, to go out there and kick ass… They’d be mad if you didn’t**

  
I sighed and nodded, he was right, but it didn’t help me shake the feeling. I guess after years of fighting with the same two people and seeing them as your family it was hard to move on from them, be it they are alive or dead, without feeling guilty or like you are betraying them… Even if Alexis had made his intentions to break our oath clear…

 _  
Jackal… Sera… Are you guys in range yet? Is this thing even working…”_ Luca’s voice broke me from my train of thought.

 _“Yes we are here; we will be with you in the next five to ten minutes… How is it looking down there?”_ Jackal asked.

 _“Nice and quiet, same around the hospital, we should have a clear run down to it”_ Luca replied and I smiled, at least getting there would be easy enough.

“Good to hear… Any ideas on what sort of numbers we can expect to face?” I asked as we flew over Trostland, Devrim probably waving at us as we flew over his little church.

 _“They have a pretty heavy presence in and directly around the hospital… A rough estimate would be around one-hundred Fallen, though I have a sneaking suspicion they have artillery down there”_ Luca commented. Though before either I or Jackal could reply we were over the square and our Ghosts were transmatting us down.

  
I looked round the square, it was pretty much the same as the last time I had been here, only this time there were less fallen and more Guardians.

  
“Ah! Serafina… Jackal, good to see you both again” Luca’s voice said and I turned round and he was sat on a wall behind me, Jackal making his way over from the other side of the central gardens that were in the square.

“You too Luca… Sorry to hear about Harley and Mira” Jackal replied… Luca, Harley and Mira had made up one of the few all Hunter Fireteams though I had only ever worked with Luca; he had stepped in to help me and Phobos take care of Alak-Hul when Alexis had been out of a commission for a few days.

“Cheers… Sorry to hear about Maria and Coral… and Alexis and Phobos” Luca replied and I nodded and the three of us stood there for a moment in silence, our Ghosts just hovering there.

  
“Guess that makes us the survivors… so best come back from this one or I just picked a pretty ironic name for our little Fireteam” Jackal chuckled and I looked to him and smiled.

“We are coming back… The Fallen don’t stand a god-damned chance” I stated and Luca smiled and hopped down from the wall.

“So… That artillery I mentioned. I think they have a walker, though I don’t think it is in very good shape, either it is in the process of being built or it has come up against a Guardian or two and is in need of repairs” Luca said and I nodded and looked to Jackal.

“Should be easy enough to deal with, though what makes you think they have one?” he asked and Luca pulled a map off of the wall and rolled it out on the ground.

  
“So here, in what was the car park is a massive tarp covering something, though whilst scouting it out I did see the Fallen dragging things back and forth from under it, looked like walker parts to me, some of them not in the best shape” he stated and I just nodded.

“How about we make our way over there, stay low and stay hidden and see what opportunities present themselves” Luca added on.

**  
Shall I connect us to the tower now Sera? Also would you like your helmet on before you get shot by a Fallen sniper?**

  
I smiled and nodded to Orion and suddenly found my helmet on my head and the comms crackling as Orion connected us to the tower.

  
“Tower… This is Fireteam Survivors reporting. We are about to make our way towards the hospital” Jackal stated and we all paused, waiting for a response from the tower. _“Fireteam Survivors, this is the tower… We read you loud and clear, we are setting up a link to your Ghosts now so we can see what you are up against”_ Hawthorn’s voice came through loud and clear, it was nice having her on the other end of the comms. She always made me feel calmer, though I had no idea why. Maybe because you always knew where you stood with her, she was a no nonsense woman.

  
“OK… Let’s get this show on the road” Luca chuckled and we followed him out of the square and towards the hospital, ducking in and out of building as we went to avoid being spotted by Skiff’s passing overhead.

**  
Jackal. Serafina, Luca has been very excited about today. He enjoys working with the both of you. Especially you Serafina, he says he loves to look at your eyes. He thinks Awoken eyes are truly the window to the soul. **

  
I glanced at Luca’s Ghost who was looking back at me and Jackal… Had he really just said that? _“Can we keep this professional please Guardians… And Ghosts”_ Commander Zavala’s voice boomed over the comms. He certainly was not happy to hear the statement Luca’s Ghost had made… For the life of me I could not remember his name though. I wanted to say it was something like Doc but I wasn’t sure.

“Of course Commander Zavala… Dom will keep it professional from now on” Luca replied, probably a little red faced under his helmet.

 _“Your Ghost heard it from you Luca. I expect you to focus on the task in hand, not at Serafina’s eyes… Or anywhere else for that matter”_ Commander Zavala replied and I bit my tongue and stopped myself from laughing. Jackal however let out an audible chuckle and was then scolded by his Ghost, who I remembered was called Hyena, or at least, he called his Ghost that and they responded.

**  
My apologies. I will reframe from re-stating things Luca has said about his fellow Guardians **

  
I just nodded to Dom and we all pushed forward in relative silence. It took us about thirty minutes to reach an area with a good vantage point; we could see the hospital through sniper scopes but only the upper floors. “We could risk using our sparrows… the only Fallen we have seen so far have been in their ships flying over us. If we just keep our eyes and ears out and get to cover as fast as possible when one is heading our way I don’t see an issue. And it will save us time. We are still an hour’s walk away because we are bypassing the marsh” I said and Luca just nodded and looked round, checking the skies quickly, we were completely exposed in our current position.

“I say let’s do it. Will make our lives a lot easier” Jackal said and we all made our way down from the vantage point, summoned our sparrows and headed for the hospital.

  
“Is it unprofessional to say I am faster than all of you” Luca chuckled as we rounded a corner and he shot past me and Jackal.

“Yes… Because I would then have to point out how wrong you are and that would be very unprofessional” Jackal laughed passing Luca and I just smirked, lined my sparrow up to the left of them and as we went round the next bend shot past them.

“Oh boys… How unprofessional of you… Leaving the door wide open” I laughed, the tension from early had dissolved, hopefully we would be able to work together as easily as we could race one another through the streets of the EDZ.

 _  
“You guys having fun?”_ Hawthorn asked over the comms and I just chuckled and Jackal’s Ghost, Hyena, replying for us.

_  
I believe they are all having a lot of fun… By having run and relaxing with work colleagues it can help to build stronger working and personal relationships. So if you wish to scold them, do so later._

  
I just chuckled but came to a halt rather quickly as we reached the end of the streets and the start of the forest.

**  
This is it… This is the forest that surrounds the Hospital now. We should be about twenty minutes away from it on foot. Ten if you run.**

  
“Run… Orion, I am a Titan, we are not exactly known for our speed” Jackal commented as he dismounted his sparrow and came to stand next to mine.

“We can jog…. How about that?” I asked as Luca came to stand beside Jackal.

“Jogging sounds good, a nice warm up… get the blood flowing” Luca commented and Jackal sighed and nodded. I dismounted my sparrow and the three of us started to make our way through the forest. It turns out Titan’s can jog rather fast, just not as fast as a Hunter, though fast enough to keep up with us.

  
“Next time we just drop right on top of the building and I can make us a path to the ground floor” Jackal panted as we started to walk, we were beginning to see the Hospital now and then when the trees _thinned out._

“OK… Next time, we’ll do that… Though what if, Next time it is an underground bunker or something? Going to make us a skylight entrance then as well?” _Luca teased and I just chuckled. Jackal groaned in annoyance but stayed quiet, admitting defeat it seemed._

 ****  
We are coming up on the Hospital now; I suggest keeping radio chatter to a minimum  
  


_“We will wait to hear from you and watch your Ghost’s feed. Stay safe Guardians”_ Commander Zavala said and I looked to Orion who nodded and hugged my shoulder. Not wanting to be seen or eaten, I wonder if a Fallen could swallow a Ghost…  


“OK… You see that door there… That is our entry point. We sneak in through there and make our way up to the top floor or as high as we can go then work our way down, tagging any supplies as we go” Luca said, bringing me out of my own head and back into reality.

“OK… Let’s do this. Sera you ready?” Jackal asked and I nodded and the three of us crouched low and scurried out of the forest and made for the door, luckily for us the Fallen were not patrolling this side of the building, or at least not regularly so it made it easy enough to get to the door and into the building unseen.  


“Looks like a fire escape, so hopefully it goes all the way up” I whispered and Jackal nodded whilst Luca peeked his head out from under the stair case and looked up. Since he didn’t dart back into cover I assumed it was safe and peeked my head out as well, it was all clear, though it looked like there was a partial collapse of the ceiling above us, there was no telling it we could easily get by it until we got up to it.  


“Shall we? Ladies first…” Luca said, gesturing for me to go before him and I just sighed and moved round and started to head up the stairs, still keeping low and as quiet as possible.

“Commander… Anything in particular we need to keep an eye out for?” Jackal asked from the back of our little Guardian convoy, the comms crackling as he stopped speaking and Commander Zavala started.

 _“We need anything you can get your hands on Guardians, from information to medication”_ Zavala replied and I looked to Orion.  


**Myself, Dom and Hyena will tag anything of medical importance or of value to the city…**  
  


I just nodded and carried on up the stairs; we got to the fourth floor and had to figure out the best course of action with regards to getting around the partially collapsed ceiling. “Looks like me and Sera could easily slip through… Doubt you can in your armour Jackal” Luca stated and I nodded and looked round, was there another way round at all… It didn’t look like it.

“Only way you’ll get through is without all your gear but that is too risky and I don’t want it to go pear shaped and you get killed… I know you can be revived, but still…” I muttered and Jackal nodded in agreement.

“We could split up, we go this way and Jackal finds another way up… Though that is still pretty risky” Luca sighed and I sighed and peeked through the rubble, what was above us?  


I clambered up through the gap and had a look around. It was blocked again further up, a decent chunk of the ceiling had fallen in and this was just the start of it. I slowly and carefully lowered myself back down and sighed. “Even if we could all get through that way this floor is our best shot. Most the ceiling is blocking the rest of our way up. What were there six floors? Only two more to get up without being seen” I said and both Luca and Jackal chuckled whilst we moved towards the doors that lead into the main corridors.

 _“Anything could be on the other side of that door Guardians. Be careful.”_ Hawthorn said before the comms went quiet again. I just took a deep breath and slowly pulled the door open; trying to see what was on the other side as I did…  


“Get ready for a fire fight boys… It is going to get messy” I whispered.  


**Be careful Sera… I can’t lose you again…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts in this chapter are  
> Orion - Bold  
> Dom - Bold underlined  
> Hyena - Italics


	6. Chapter 6 - Sick And Twisted*

__________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower, Comms Room - Morning Time  
__________________________________________________

We watched as the three of them pushed forward, through the door and into a hallway utterly infested with Fallen… How could they possibly hope to clear them out and get the supplies we so desperately required without a loss? Had I just send more Guardians into a death trap?

Just like on Titan…

“That’s my Huntress; show them the power an Arcstrider possess… Get them well acquainted with death” Cayde chuckled and I looked to the screen that showed Jackal’s feed. Sera had charged the corridor and slain any Fallen unlucky enough or stupid enough to be out in the open. Though it had put her at the other end of the corridor to the others and the Fallen were now pouring out of side rooms and into the area from other hallways on that floor. Their screeching probably alerting every single one of them within the building.

“Are there any other Fireteams nearby? Anyone to provide support?” I asked and Hawthorn looked at her tablet and shook her head.

“Only lone Guardians…” she sighed and Cayde just turned to both of us, a very serious expression on his face, it was not often he looked so serious.

“Look… I know we’ve lost a lot of good Guardians recently and that you feel responsible but they have their light back now… We do too buddy. Now get that self-confidence back, that commanding spirit and trust that our Guardians can do this, they are Fireteam Survivors for a reason… The Red Legion could not kill them with a well organised strike, what makes you think this surprised and unorganised bunch of Fallen will succeed?” Cayde exclaimed gesturing to the three screens.

**_Zavala… Cayde has a point… for once. Jackal and Sera are both experienced at dealing with the Fallen, both having helped deal with the SIVA Crisis whilst Sera aided the reef in hunting down and capturing skolas. Luca now spends most of his time in the EDZ where the Fallen have a strong foothold. They are experienced, they are skilled and they have proven themselves to be fatal to Fallen time and time again… So why are you worrying so much?_ **

I sighed, Neptune was right; the three of them were more the capable of handling themselves against the Fallen. Why was I so worried and keen to provide them with support? Was it because of everything we went through on Titan before Serafina arrived, before she saved us all? How many died on Titan before she arrived… Twenty-three Guardians. I was responsible for their deaths on Titan; I sent them up against the Hive and Fallen. And how many did we lose on the way there? I saw fourteen ships go down… How many didn’t I see crash? How many didn’t I see get blown out the sky by the Fallen or Red Legion?

“That… That looked like it hurt” Cayde commented and I looked to the screens. Jackal was pulling himself out of a wall laughing whilst a Fallen Captain walked towards him.

“He is so dead… So dead. Dead and buried. Why is he walking towards a manically laugh Titan?” Cayde exclaimed waving his arms about. This is why I always avoided watching movies with him, especially now he had a chicken that spooked easily and decided to go to the toilet whenever it was spooked.

 _“I wish I could tell him how screwed he is just to see the look on his face when he realises…”_  
“I want to see the look on his face when he is punched to death by a Guardian who was laughing like a mad man”  
“That too… I want to see that too Sera!”

We remained silent as Jackal pulled himself from the wall fully, brushed himself off and just swung a punch at the captain and sent him flying down the corridor, coming to a halt just before the crates Luca and Sera were crouched behind. The two hunters falling deathly silent, I doubted they were breathing whilst the captain was stood there.

_“COME ON UGLY! YOU WANT A PUNCHING MATCH YOU GOT ONE! I’LL TAKE ALL OF YOU UGLY CRETINS ON!”_

“He has spirit that is for sure” Hawthorn commented and I chuckled, Jackal was a very vocal Titan, seemed to think he could take on the world and win no matter what the circumstances.

“Titans tend to be, you’ll find Warlocks mutter things to themselves whilst Hunters just stay silent unless with one of their own… I find Hunters to be odd, but the rest of them couldn’t get by without us” Cayde commented and Hawthorn let out a small laugh before focusing on her tablet.

I watched as Jackal continued to throw the captain around, eventually throwing him into the floor and killing him. Luca and Sera emerging from their hiding places and patting him on the shoulder.

 _“He didn’t stand a chance Jackal… Just make sure that shotgun is loaded OK…”_  
“Ha-ha… You’ll never let me live that down will you Sera?”  
“Of course she won’t, eyes like a beautiful hawk and a memory like an Exo’s”

The three of them then went room to room, tagging items for transmat back to the city that would be of use to us and pocketing other items.

**Commander Zavala… Who is going to transmat all the tagged items back to the city?**

“Amanda Holliday is sending out some self-piloted ships to pick up and bring back the items. Once they are over the hospital they will transmat the items aboard and bring them back. Their departures will be staggered, so you will have time to tag more items before the next one arrives” I replied, watching the feed from Orion carefully. Serafina was moving quickly and quietly in and out of rooms, tagging anything her Ghost highlighted for her and pocketing other things such as bandages.

_“I think that is it for this floor, where to next? Up… Or down?”_

Luca asked his fellow Guardians and I watched them, they were thinking about it carefully it would seem.

_“I say up, there are only two floors above us, and I imagine they are both partially caved in so we won’t be able to get as much from them but it is still worth seeing what there is, there are probably less Fallen up there. I imagine it was the ones from those floors filtering down onto this one to act as reinforcements”_

Sera stated, Jackal staying quiet and simply nodding in agreement. The three of them then moved to a different staircase with unrestricted access up to the next two floors. They headed to the top, this time Luca opened the door, there were not as many Fallen but they were still present and on edge. They knew Guardians were in the building and knew they could strike at any time, I doubt they expected them to strike so soon though.

_“EAT THIS!”_

Luca yelled bursting through the doors and throwing his grenade down the corridor, it broke into smaller explosives, each one seeking out and ending a Fallen life. Sera and Jackal started firing behind him, taking out Fallen after Fallen, a few getting a little close but the three had no trouble dealing with any that got close and personal.

_“FUCK!”_

I looked back to Sera’s screen, she was staring up at a Vandal that had its staff weapon caught in the trigger of her rifle, using both her hands to hold it up left her defenceless against a second attacker and unable to deal with the Vandal on top of her.

 _“SERA! HOLD ON!”_  
“WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM DOING! THE TANGO!”  
“CRAP! THEY ARE INVISIBLE! WATCH YOUR BACKS!”  
“MY BACK IS FINE! IT IS MY FACE I AM CURRENTLY WORRIED ABOUT!”  
“TWO SECONDS SERA! DON’T WORRY THAT PRETTY AWOKEN HEAD OF YOURS!”  
“KILL FALLEN NOW! TRY AND FLIRT LATER!”

All of a sudden the Vandal dropped on to Sera lifeless, a knife sticking out of its head. “She isn’t going to be happy about that; their blood does not wash out easy… She knows that all too well” Cayde commented.

“She could have died, how can you make such a comment in a situation like this?” I asked Cayde and he looked to me, curiosity flashed in his eyes before he just shrugged and turned back to the screens.

“She’d say the same thing if she was stood here and I was in her position, I can guarantee it” Cayde commented.

 _“You OK?”_  
“Yeah… Come on, we need to keep moving or they’ll swarm us”  
“On it… Tag anything you can and then we can move down a floor, they’ll be wetting themselves by now. Hearing us slaughter everyone below and above them”  
“Urgh… I hate to quote the big asshole… But let’s show them the true meaning of fear”  
“Ah, Gary, whilst he was a giant ass he did have some good lines”

“First ship has picked up the supplies and is on its way back… This is going to make a huge difference” Hawthorn commented.

“Keep it up you three, the city is depending on you” I stated as the three of them ran round taking out any Fallen that were trying to ambush them and tagging anything useful for transmat.

 _“Just keep those ships coming and we’ll keep filling them”_  
“I know it is a bit unprofessional… But Sera… Are you single?”  
“Yes. I am Luca, and no, I won’t go on a date with you, no matter how many times you save my life”  
“Damn, you’re running round with a Golden Gun and she just shot you right down!”  
“Oh shut it Jackal… Come on, let’s keep going”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He really was an insatiable flirt, and for some reason it was bothering more than it should, usually it would just be that he was being unprofessional, but for some reason the fact it was directed at Sera was bothering me more. Was it because she was Awoken and I knew what it was like for us to be seen as a trophy? An item on someone’s tick list of things to do… Or was it because… Because. No. No it could not be that… Could it?

**_Zavala, are you alright? You seem concerned by something?_ **

“I am fine Neptune, just aware of the fact that we have had two near misses with the Fallen getting the upper hand on a Guardian” I said and Hawthorn just looked at me and smiled.

“You really do care for them all, every single one of them” she commented and I nodded.

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death… Sun Tzu” I said and Hawthorn just nodded and looked to Cayde.

“He does that… Quotes people who are long dead, though it has an effect, you should see the Guardians after he gives a speech, they are raring to go, chomping at the bit and ready to race out the gates… I personally tell them about all the loot out there waiting for them and watch them go” Cayde said and Hawthorn chuckled before looking back to the screens. They had cleared the next floor with ease, only a handful of Fallen had remained on it whilst they had dealt with the other floors.

 _“Three down three to go… and if they have a walker here we will have to take care of that. Can’t have that getting out in the field”_  
“Yeah, hopefully it is in pieces under that tarp if they do have one, will be a lot easier to deal with”  
“Oh most defiantly… Do you have your eyes on someone then Sera?”  
“Luca, you haven’t got a chance so drop it” 

They all fell silent and Sera went ahead to peak round the door to the next floor whilst Jackal pulled Luca back and whispered something to him.

“What did he say?” I asked and Cayde and Hawthorn shrugged whilst Neptune and Ace used a spare screen to re-watch that moment.

**_He appears to have told him to stop pushing her, saying he knows how close she was to Alexis and he isn’t long dead so things are still raw for her… Oh my… She didn’t just lose her Fireteam, she lost her lover._ **

“No… She wasn’t involved with Alexis, at least not when he died… Though she defiantly lost more than her Fireteam, she lost her family, her brothers. That isn’t a pain that goes away anytime soon, certainly not for a Hunter” Cayde commented, one of his hands clutching his cloak… Andal Brask. Of course, that was his cloak... Cayde had been distraught after his death, what was it Shaxx had told me when he walked into the Hall of Guardians with that cloak on? If you learn nothing else, learn this; when a Hunter takes up the cloak of a dead comrade, this is a vow.

 _“Well… this is creepy, where have they all gone?”_  
“I don’t know… Keep your eyes peeled”  
“Don’t even make that joke Jackal… I am warning you”  
“You ruin all my fun Luca”  
“No, he just saves us from your terrible sense of humour”  
“Hunters are mean… I am telling Zavala to tell Cayde to tell you two off”

“Play nice kids… I don’t want to have to come down there and make you play nice!” Cayde called down the comms. The three of them chuckling slightly before cautiously peeling off from one another and moving from room to room.

_“Oh my god… Oh god! I am going to be sick!”_

Sera called down the comms and we all looked to her screen. A room full of dead Guardians rotting away, some with body parts missing, others cut open and organs missing. Amongst them were a few Ghosts and dead Fallen.

**_What… What were they doing to them?_ **

**It looks like they were trying to transplant organs from Guardians to themselves… A way to get our light? No… These Guardians died before we freed the traveller. Maybe it was simply a sick and twisted experiment like they did with the Hive in the Plaguelands.**

_“Those sick bastards… Monsters, that is what they are and they are all going to die!”_

Jackal growled whilst Sera stood in the door way looking out into the hallway, though I could not see her expression I could imagine what it was. Mine would most likely be a similar one if I was there and seeing it all first hand.

_“Come on… Once we have cleared this place out we can leave them to rest in peace”_

Luca commented and the three of them carried on in silence whilst the three of us also stood in silence. Cayde looked pissed off whilst I wanted to go out there myself and make sure they knew just what it was like to have someone relentlessly hunt them down till their race was wiped out.

_“I can hear something… Below us”_

I looked to the screen, they were slowly moving down the stairs to the next floor, only one more to go after this one. Though as soon as they entered the hallway I felt my stomach drop and I took a few steps forward.

“GET OUT OF THERE NOW!” I yelled and Cayde ran over to the door and stuck his head out.

“AMANDA! GUARDIANS NEED EVAC ASAP AT THE TROSTLAND HOSPITAL!” he yelled and I heard various people start running around out in the hanger whilst I just watched the screen in horror.

 _“NO! THEY DIE TODAY!”_  
“GET THE SUPPLIES FIRST! THEN US! THEY CITY TAKES PRIORITY!”  
“IF WE FALL! LEVEL THIS PLACE! DON’T LET THEM HAVE OUR GHOSTS!”  
“ORION STAY CLOSE FOR GODS SAKE! I AM NOT LETTING THEM GET THEIR GRUBBY LITTLE HANDS ON YOU!”  
“HYENA! HYENA STAY WITH ME!”  
“DOM! DOM DON’T MOVE FROM MY SIDE!”

“DON’T BE STUPID GUARDIANS! GET OUT OF THERE! YOU ARE TOO IMPORTANT TO THE CITY! THERE ARE SUPPLIES ELSEWHERE!” Cayde yelled running back into the room. All I could do was watch as they fought their way through the hallways on that floor, killing Fallen after Fallen… Bastardised Ghost after Bastardised Ghost.

__________________________________________________

Sera – Trostland Hospital – Morning time  
__________________________________________________

After every few kills I would check to make sure Orion was close by, he was hugging my shoulder, sometimes moving behind me to try and hide behind my helmet but I was moving too much for that to work… God I wished I never joked about him getting eaten by the Fallen.

Around thirty Dreg’s had one of their eyes replaced with a Ghost, the entire thing, shifting and twisting in the socket, making this horrible noise that sounded like it was crying out in pain. What purpose did they serve? Why had the Fallen done that… Who had even thought of such a sick idea?

“NO! LET GO OF HIM!” Jackal called and I turned as he grabbed Hyena back off a Dreg and then punched it through a wall, I looked to Orion and opened one of my belts pouches, he got the idea and squeezed himself inside and I zipped it up.

 _“WE LOST SERA’S FEED! WHAT IS GOING ON?”_ Cayde’s frantically furious voice crackled to live down the comms.

“I put him in one of my ammo pouches. If they want him they’ll have to kill me to get him!” I snapped as I threw my grenade down the corridor, it stuck to a Vandal who started screaming. He soon stopped.

“Good shot… now, stand back” Jackal said and I took a few steps back over the dead Fallen and stood beside Luca who was holding Dom as close as he could.

“You asked for it you sick twisted fuckers…” Jackal hissed, arc energy sparking and flowing over his body.

He released his super and sparks flew, he smashed the ground over and over again, obliterating any Fallen that were stupid enough to try and rush him or thought hiding would save them. “Remind me never to piss a Titan off” Luca commented and I found the energy from somewhere to chuckle at his comment.

“They all dead?” I asked as Jackal came back round the corner, Hyena close by his side.

“Damn right they are… I say we check this floor quickly and as a group… Wait, where is Orion?” he asked and I chuckled and unzipped my pouch, Orion popped the top of his shell out and looked round before emerging.

 _“Scan one of them… See if you can figure out what purpose they serve Guardians”_ Hawthorns voice was calm, unlike Cayde and Zavala had been, then again, I guess she would not fully understand the link a Ghost and Guardian have and how much of a bond they have, to see this being done to them. It was sickening, it was rage inducing and the Fallen were going to pay for it.

Dom, Hyena and Orion all converged on one body, scanning it thoroughly before returning to our sides.

 **He was alive, recording everything the entire time**  
_I am attempting to see if the recording is salvageable_  
****He is linked to the Dreg’s nervous system. This Dreg also has Human Organs in his body…  
_But they serve no purpose… They are just linked to the Ghost and not the Dreg_  
**What was their thinking behind that?**  
No idea… Though it was sick and twisted thinking, that is for sure

The Ghosts each returned to us, Hyena having managed to recover the recording sent it back to the tower. We could watch it when we returned, there was still a floor full of medical supplies to tag, a floor below us potentially full of Fallen and more medical supplies and to top it all of a mystery item under the tarp.

“Come on, we need to keep going. We are almost done clearing this place out” Luca commented and we all nodded and went round room after room tagging anything of value, it took us slightly longer than the other floors but now splitting up was even more dangerous than before.

 _“I still think you should just pack it in and come home. We have a good stock of supplies from this run”_ Zavala stated and I could hear Cayde agreeing in the background.

 _“Let them finish the job. They are obviously determined to get every last thing they can”_ Hawthorn replied, this could get interesting.

 _“It is not worth their lives”_ Cayde commented, his voice louder than before, obviously closer to the others and linking himself into the comms properly instead of using a ‘as you wish’ connection where he could tune in at any point as well as drop his link at any point.

“Look. We are finishing this. We are finishing them. They murdered our brothers and sisters and took away their Ghosts… Remember what it was like, that time without them after we lost our light? After we lost our Ghosts… Now imagine having to go through that a second time knowing they are going to hurt them… Do unspeakable things to them. They are monsters who need to be stopped, they are sick and twisted and we cannot let them continue. We leave once they are dead.” Luca very boldly stated, his voice lower, he seemed more determined now, we all did. Then again… We had all lost our Fireteams, our brothers and sisters, our closest friends; all we had left was our Ghosts. And now these monsters were trying to take them away. We could not… would not, let it happen. We didn’t let Ghaul get away with trying to use our light against us; we certainly were not going to let the Fallen get away with it.

 _“Just be careful. We cannot lose you… Make sure you come home”_ Zavala replied, we all nodded at one another, we would make it home, we had each other’s backs and we were all too stubborn to die here today. Especially with having named ourselves Fireteam Survivors.

“Ok… Last floor. I say we go in just past the door, that way if it is too much we can dart back out and back out the side door we came in, into the forest and out of here. Otherwise we shoot everything in sight and if any tough boys won’t go down, I have three flaming hot shots that will put them down” Luca stated and I nodded, as did Jackal.

“Everything loaded?” I asked and Jackal chuckled before checking all his weapons and filling up his assault rifles clip.

“All good… One three… One… Two… Three!” Luca called and we burst through the door…

**A WALKER!**

“I don’t think it is under the tarp outside Luca!” I called as we all dodged out the way as it opened fire on us, completely obliterating the door we had just come through and the wall and door behind that.

 _“They built a walker in a hospital! Why! It makes no sense… Unless there is something on that floor they really want to protect… Find it… Kill it!”_ Cayde called down the comms and I just looked to Jackal who had dodged the same way as me, Luca was hiding behind a desk on the other side of the room.

“LUCA! FRONT LEGS! UNLOAD ON THEM!” Jackal called and then it begun. Ducking out from behind cover to shoot at its weakest spot, its legs. Eventually the front leg on the side me and Jackal were on popped off giving Luca the break from the shooting he needed to be able to run over to us. We then started to unload on what was effectively its brain. Round after round until it was back on its feet. We then unloaded on the next leg and the next, repeating the process till it finally dropped to the ground and exploded.

“Damn it!” I exclaimed as the explosion knocked the desk we were crouched behind into us and us into the wall.

“You two OK? Little fragile things you Hunters” Jackal chuckled as he helped both me and Luca up at the same time.

“Yeah we are fine… Slow Titan” Luca replied playfully hitting Jackal in the chest.

“Come on, let’s see what else they have on this floor, it can’t be just a walker surely” I said and we started to make our way round, going in and out of rooms, down hallways, tagging anything important as we went, save us running back through to do it all again.

“Wait... What on Earth is that smell” Luca commented suddenly and we all stopped and it suddenly hit me. It was smelt like something was rotting away. There had been a faint smell in the room upstairs of rot but it was nowhere near this bad.

“We have to see what it is don’t we?” I asked and Luca nodded whilst Jackal placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed, reassuring me he was there.

“Fine, how about we keeping going, eventually we will find the source… I just don’t want to miss any supplies… or see what the source is…” I sighed and Luca turned to me and gave me a thumbs up and we kept moving. The smell getting more intense as we moved through the hallways and rooms until we got to one hallway covered in bloody footprints… This was it. In one or more of these rooms was the source of the smell.

“I have something on my radar… Other end of the hallway in one of the rooms on the left” Jackal stated taking a few cautious steps forward. I looked round carefully, glancing up at the ceiling… It was shimmering in places… Vandals!

“UP! THEY ARE ON THE CEILING!” I called aiming up and shooting at some of them, getting a few good shots in and some dropped to the ground dead whilst the rest jumped down trying to grab us or our Ghosts. One getting lucky and managing to grab Orion.

“ORION! GIVE HIM BACK YOU BASTARD! ONLY THRALLS AND CHICKENS GET TO DO THAT!” I called chasing after him.

**SERA! SERA DON’T LET THEM TAKE ME! DON’T LET THEM TURN ME AGAINST YOU! SERA! SERA HELP ME! PLEASE! HELP ME! SERA!**

“ORION! I AM COMING! ORION!” I yelled managing to grab a handful of the Vandal’s cloak and pull him back, sinking my knife into his back and ripping it upwards. The Vandal screamed out in pain, the more it screamed the more I ripped my knife up its back, eventually hitting something important enough to cause it to go limp and drop Orion. I just grabbed him and held him close.

“I have you! I have you… You’re safe. Orion… You are safe” I muttered aiming and firing one handed, something I was thankfully rather skilled at doing after having to do it when we could not get anyone to transmat a case of Golden Age books Ikora had sent us after on Mars causing me and Phobos to have to carry it whilst Alexis cleared the way for us. Took an hour to drag it out of Clovis Bray, the Cabal and Vex trying to stop us at every turn.

**Don’t let them take me again Sera… I don’t think I could go on if they separated us…**

“They won’t Orion… I won’t let them. You know I’d do anything to keep my little light safe” I replied, finishing off the last Vandal.

“Still something on the radar, that last room… Who gets to peek?” Luca asked and I let Orion go from my chest and smiled at him… Not that he could see my smile.

“I’ll peek. You lot stay out the way…” Jackal commented cracking his knuckles, we just nodded and crouched against the wall next to the door whilst Jackal loaded his rocket launcher and got into position.

 _“I have lost count of how many times I have told you to be careful today. Just… Don’t blow yourself up Titan”_ Zavala sighed and I held back a chuckled and nodded to Jackal who opened the door and almost immediately fired his rocket launcher.

“BIG ASS CAPTAIN! ANY SUPER ABILITIES APPRECIATED!” Jackal called charging into the room; Luca jumped out from behind me, released his Golden Gun and moved into the door way, firing three shots into the room, orbs of light dropping to the floor. I quickly placed my hand on one and felt the light flow through me. I was ready for battle.

“COMING THROUGH!” I called and I raced into the room, jumped in the air and released my super once more. Slamming the staff down on to the floor. Though it wasn’t the floor. It was body part after body part from Fallen, Cabal, Human’s, Exo’s and Awoken. What were they doing in this place? I shook my head, a thought for later; I turned back and began to let all my anger and rage out on the captain. Defiantly bigger than the usual one you saw out and about on patrol, but not quiet Kell sized. Not far off though either.

After exhausting my super on him I jumped back and readied my own Rocket Launcher. This was going to hurt if I hit the right spot. “FIRE IN THE HOLE!” I yelled and both Luca and Jackal jumped out the way as I launched a rocket at the captain’s face, though he dodged backwards and I got his chest instead, sending him barrelling through the wall and into the next room. He was starting to tire, starting to have trouble dodging our attacks and getting hits on us. Not long now and he would be dead.

“OK… Time to shut this rodeo down!” Jackal called charging forward and barging into the captain, sending him across the room. He came to a sudden halt when he came in contact with the next wall and dropped to the floor, trying to pull himself up but failing. A well placed throwing knife to the head did the trick.

 _“Finish off tagging anything of use on that floor and then get out of there you three”_ Cayde sighed, relief clear in his voice. We decided to split up again, finish this off quickly. We ran round the rooms tagging and grabbing things in time for the next ship to come over, it was about seven minutes out according to Hyena which should be enough time for the three of us to finish off tagging the useful things on this floor having already done the majority of it.

“GUYS! In here!” Luca suddenly called and I finished tagging a box of medications and ran over to where Luca was. He was stood in the doorway to a room, the faded writing above the door said read ‘Operationssaal’ which I could not translate though from the content of the room I could make a pretty good guess… Operating Room.

The room was a mess, the Fallen had obviously never heard of a mop and bucket… Just butchers tools. There were bodies all over the place; I just wanted to leave now… I want to go back to the tower and have the longest shower of my life, just wash any trace of this place from me. “There is a terminal on the other side of the room… Probably has information on what they were doing here on it… Could be useful… though… It does mean walking through that” Luca said pointing at the terminal. He was right on both counts, it could very well be useful, but walking through that room did not seem worth it considering what was on the floor.

 _“I am not going to force any of you to walk in there, but that information could be vital”_ Zavala sighed and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

 _“If you won’t I will. One of you get that information. We need it so just go for it, the quicker one of you does it the quicker you can get out of there!”_ Hawthorn snapped… Her voice was no longer calming.

“Fine!” Luca snapped walking into the room tentatively, every step resulting in a horrid squelching noise.

“No… I’m going to be sick” I commented turning away and walking down the hall, peeling my helmet off and bringing my breakfast back up… Orion floated above my back, keeping an eye out for any sneaky Fallen whilst I emptied the content on my stomach onto the floor.

 _“Sera… Are you alright?”_ Zavala asked, his voice now the calming one, though the butterflies it put in my stomach did not help the feeling of nausea.

“I am fine… I just. The smell and the sounds, it is beyond words” I replied once I had emptied my stomach, now aware that both Luca and Jackal were stood by me, Jackal holding out a bottle of water for me.

**Can we come home now… Please…**  
_I would very much like that  
_ **** Yes. Home, I want to go home now too

_“Come home Guardians, go straight to your apartments and clean yourselves up and then meet us in the comms rooms. No need to worry about protocol today eh Zavala”_ Cayde said and I then there was silence.

 _“Zavala… Buddy… You need to do more than nod”_ Cayde then commented and I managed a small chuckle between gulps of water.

“All the supplies have been acquired; I see no reason not to head home… Come on, which Awoken Huntress wants a piggy back?” Jackal asked and I smiled and raised a hand. Luca just laughed as Jackal hoisted me onto his back.

“Helmet’s on… Safety first” he commented and I nodded and placed my helmet back on and we headed back the way we came, headed out the side exit and into the forest. Luca pausing and looking back… The tarp, we hadn’t check underneath it. Though I could not be bothered to go back, not right now, unlike Luca.

“I will catch up with you guys… Promise. Just best check that tarp!” he called as he started running towards the car park. “Shall we wait for him?” Jackal asked and I nodded, clinging on to Jackal and resting my head on his shoulders… I felt awful, terrible, physically and emotionally drained. Today was not the day I had wanted nor needed.

After a few minutes Luca returned, his pace slow and Dom right behind him, bobbing along rather happily.

** He is disappointed it was not even walker part. It was old Golden Age car parts. We have set a timed explosive. To ensure they are not used to build a walker.  **

I just chuckled and we made our way slowly back to Trostland and to an easy area for our ships to pick us up from… “I am really looking forward to a shower” I muttered.

**I am looking forward to you having a shower as well… You smell.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts in this chapter  
> Orion - Bold  
> Neptune - Bold italics  
> Dom - Bold underlined  
> Hyena - Italics


	7. Chapter 7 - I've Had My Fill

___________________________________________________________________  
Sera – Her apartment – One hour and fifteen minutes after returning  
___________________________________________________________________

Almost an hour after stepping into my shower I stepped out, feeling no cleaner than I had before despite having thoroughly washed the sweat, blood, sick and Fallen goo off my skin and out of my hair however the images of what I had seen had me feeling like it was on my skin all over again.

**Sera… Commander Zavala has requested the three of you meet him in the communication room. He also sent you a private message; do you wish me to play it for you?**

I just nodded as I plopped myself down on the edge of the bed and put on the underwear Orion had readied for me very helpfully; he was always doing little things he didn’t have to.

  * Sera, after the debrief if you wish to talk I know of a private area in the tower we can do so. –



I sighed and flopped back onto the bed; I didn’t have the energy to spend time with him and try to hide how much he made my stomach do back-flips and my cheeks flush… But I needed to talk to someone… I couldn’t have another day like today, not anytime soon anyway, I just needed a few days to rest and recover… Damn it… Damn him and his eyes and his damned smooth voice.

**Sera… we really should get going**

I groaned and forced myself up and to finish putting my socks on before I grabbed a tank top and pair of shorts and pulled them on. I could not be bothered with my armour, not right now. “Boots…” I muttered wandering around my living room looking round trying to find a pair of shoes. Eventually I noticed Orion bobbing up and down in one spot and smiled, there were my boots. I grabbed them and started to pull them on, hopping around my apartment with little to no grace as usual when I put these damned boots on.

“OK! Ready!” I exclaimed and Orion floated over to the mirror and nodded towards it… This was going to be interesting. I walked over and groaned… Hair… I needed to brush my hair.

After five minutes wrestling with my hair I made my way out of my apartment and to the hanger, passing several Guardians who recognised me on the way and getting nods and hellos… Couldn’t name a single one of them to save my life, guess being the one who saved the city… again… came with everyone knowing your name and face.

**Sera… by the way… Today… It was scary and made me realise that believing you were dead was a lot less scary than the thought of us being separated and used in some twisted experiment by the Fallen. I always thought you dying would be the worst thing that could happen, but no… Now I know the worst thing that could happen is I end up in A Dreg’s eye socket and you… Well, you know… I just, I want you to know how much you mean to me.**

I took a deep breath and looked to Orion, I had never been so scared in my life as when that Vandal had grabbed him and I doubted I would be that scared again.

“Orion. I swear to you I will do everything in my power to keep you safe from them. I will kill every last Fallen and tear this world apart to safe you if I had to. You are my Ghost and they cannot have you and they never will, you mean too damned much to me” I replied, hearing my own determination in my voice, hopefully it comforted Orion somewhat.

**I know you would. And I know you would get anyone and everyone to help you from Louis and the Colonel to the Vanguard and Hawthorn… It was just a stark reminder of just how desperate our enemies can be…**

I nodded in agreement; maybe I was not the only one in need of a few days rest… Maybe something to bring up with Zavala, see if it would be possible for us to take a few days to just process what we saw today and to refocus ourselves, if we went back out there tomorrow we would probably be reckless when coming up against Fallen, become blinded with anger and rage and end up making stupid mistakes and taking even stupider risks.

“Hello beautiful” a familiar voice sang and I looked up ahead of me and Luca was stood there, a playful grin plastered over his face.

“Seriously? After all we have just been through you are going to flirt with me?” I sighed, I was completely drained and no in the mood for his crap.

“Sera don’t be like that… Something like makes you realise that some things in life are not worth giving up on, like my dream of waking up next to you after a passionate night of love making” he said and I just rolled my eyes and pushed past him, making my way to the comms room as quickly as I could, not wanting to engage in conversation with him again until we were in the company of the others, especially Zavala. For someone reason he seemed to be a beacon of safety to me… Urgh. Great… the last person who I saw like that had broken my heart and then died!

**_Sera! Orion, it is so good to see you safe. I was extremely worried for your safety and intactness!_ **

“Thank you Neptune, good to see you again as well, good to see a familiar little face” I said holding my hand out for him and he gladly landed it in and nestled into my hand.

“You know I am never going to hear the end of how I don’t show him enough affection now… And that is all on you” Zavala stated walking over and I just chuckled and bopped my nose against Neptune before letting him float back into Zavala’s side.

**You know… You best save some of that affection for me Sera**

Orion commented and I chuckled and moved a little closer to him and pressed a small kiss to his shell before moving to sit down on one of the seats that had been set out opposite several screens. “Hey Sera… You doing OK?” Cayde asked as I sat down next to him and I just smiled and nodded, though it was a lie, I would rather do today all over again and have never left my bed. I glanced round the room, Jackal was stood talking to Ikora about the data on the Fallen Console whilst Luca just stood against the wall looking at me, he was making me regret wearing a low cut tank top and shorts now.

“OK… Now everyone is here shall we watch the footage that was recovered from the Ghost that had been implanted into the Dreg. I know it is going to be hard viewing but we need to ensure we catch every little detail as we are having trouble deciphering the data from the Fallen Console” Zavala stated moving to take a seat beside me though Luca was quicker and I just rolled my eyes and looked to the screen which Neptune zapped and it started playing.

__

_“Rover where are we?” a Warlock asked their Ghost who looked to them, concern plastered all over there face._

_I don’t know River… I would have thought the Fallen would have outright killed us upon finding us_

_“Same… and what is that smell…” the Warlock stated, screwing up her face and moving round the room as if looking for the source, she wasn’t in any armour, just some basic clothing and was bare footed._

_Someone is coming River… What do we do?_

_“I don’t know Rover… I am powerless… Oh god…” the Warlock, River stated, her voice full of panic. A group of Vandals then walked into the room, holding various tools and what looked the operating equipment._

__

I found myself reaching for Orion and pulling him down into my lap so he was closer and I could feel his presence.

__

_“NO! GET OFF HIM… ROVER! OUCH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT! NO! COME BACK WITH HIM! BRING HIM BACK! GET OFF ME YOU FOUR ARMED FREAK!” River yelled as Rover was dragged out the room by a Vandal and taken down the hallway into an operating room where a Dreg was already on an operating table, one eye had already been removed._

_What are you doing…? RIVER! RIVER HELP ME! RIVER! OH GOD! RIVER! NO RIVER! DON’T HURT HER!_

_The desperation in the Ghosts voice clear, though it turned into panic as a scream ripped through the hallway causing the Ghost to begin to struggle more and more, almost getting away several times._

_RIVER! HOLD ON RIVER! I AM TRYING! HOLD ON RIVER! OH GOD! RIVER! RIVER! ANSWER ME! NO! What is that! What are you putting on me! No! Stop! ARGH! THAT HURTS! OH GOD! RIVER IT HURTS! MAKE THEM STOP! RIVER!_

_The screams from down the hallway intensified and drowned most other noises out momentarily before stopping all together… Though they were soon replaced with the Ghosts frantic screaming and pleading._

_RIVER! NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER? IF YOU HURT HER I WILL KILL YOU ALL! JUST TAKE ME BACK TO HER! PLEASE! WE HAVE NO LIGHT LEFT! THE CABAL TOOK IT! PLEASE! STOP! STOP! NO! ARGH! THAT HURTS! NO!_

_Suddenly the sound of electric crackling filled the air and a Dreg was shot across the room whilst the Ghost stopped struggling and speaking all together before being placed inside of the eye socket it had been pulled from._

_Though the silence did not last for long. Suddenly the Dreg on the table was moving their head, with every moment the Ghost screamed as if they were in pain. Then the screaming didn’t stop as the Dreg was helped up and forced to walk around. Walking down the hallway… back into the room the Warlock and her Ghost, River and Rover, had been kept in._

_She was dead. Cut open, organs harvested and some lone Dreg feeding on her corpse as if he were a Thrall. The screaming from the Ghost seemed to intensify._

__

I looked down at Orion, he was watching the screen intently, though I could tell from the movements of his shell he was as disturbed by what we were seeing as I was.

“Oh my lord… How many?” Ikora asked and I looked back up to the screen.

__

_The dreg was dragging her body through the hallways and into another room, filled with other bodies, other dead Guardians, some dead Fallen and a few Ghosts lying on the floor, either dead or dying._

_The next few minutes were of the Dreg walking around, seemingly getting used to its new attachment._

____

**_There is nothing else of note until the Dreg is killed, and then it is simply that the screaming stops and after a few moments the footage ends, most likely as the Ghosts life did or just before._ **

Neptune commented and I just took a shaky breath, jumping slightly as Luca placed his hand on my leg, though I know he was trying to be comforting, he was also being a flirt at the same time which made it less comforting. I just brushed his hand off and stood.

“I dread to think how they felt, being ripped apart like that, not knowing what had happened to the other” Cayde commented, pulling Ace close whilst Ikora pulled Aristotle close. Neptune moved slightly closer to Zavala who sighed and pulled him towards him some more, making the Ghost rather happy.

“We need to ensure the Fallen are not carrying these experiments out elsewhere and if they are they need to be shut down” Ikora stated and I just nodded.

“We’d be up for the challenge once you either get a location or locations from the data we collected or we are made aware of another area they are conducting these experiments in” Jackal replied, his voice low, he didn’t sound like he really was up for the challenge but the day had taken its toll on us that is for sure.

“We knew we could count on the three of you” Zavala stated, standing up and moving to stand in front of us all, Neptune still close by him.

“We will shut these Fallen experiments down and drive them from our home world, but before that can happen we need to gather more intelligence on their movements. Cayde send some of your other scouts out, have them track the Fallen from a safe distance and report back any unusual activity… Ikora, ask Hawthorn and Devrim to keep their eyes and ears peeled as well, they know the EDZ and the Fallen that reside there well, they will know if anything is out of the ordinary” Zavala stated and Cayde nodded.

“Me, Ace and the Colonel will get right on it buddy!” he replied before standing and stretching, heading out the room with Ace, Luca followed stating he needed to talk to him about something.

“I shall head back to the Bazaar and keep my ears open for Guardians talking about anything odd they have seen or noticed whilst out on patrols or strikes. Hopefully idle chatter will yield something interesting or at least useful” Ikora stated before leaving, Aristotle in tow, the two talking about something or another as they exited the room, I couldn’t make out what either was saying properly.

_Jackal… What are we doing now?_

Hyena asked and I looked to Jackal who just smiled at his Ghost and stood from his seat, stretching as Cayde had… Did Exo’s need to stretch? Or was it just a quirk some of them had? “We’ll go get something to eat and then head over to Shaxx… See what matches he is running today, let off a little steam in the Crucible… How does that sound?” Jackal asked Hyena who nodded, seeming to like the sound of that plan.

_That sounds like a plan. Shall we…_

Hyena replied, starting to make her way out the room, Jackal just smiled to me and waved, I waved back but I was not sure if I managed to smile or not. Though once Jackal had left the room I was acutely aware that I was alone with Zavala… aside from our Ghosts that was.

“Sera, how are you holding up after all that?” he asked coming to sit next to me, placing a hand on my knee… His hand was warmer than Luca’s. Were Awoken warmer than Human’s in general? Was Luca simply cold or is Zavala simply warm? Wait…What had he asked?

**Sera… Earth to Sera…**

“Sorry… I, my mind was wandering” I sighed and Zavala just smiled at me, stood and held a hand out for me, I took it and he helped me up before releasing my hand and heading out the room, gesturing for me to follow him. And I did.

“Like I said, I know an area of the tower we can speak in private, somewhere you can say as much or as little as you want and I will be the only one listening” Zavala stated as we walked together, I just smiled. He was caring, but not in the pushy way I was used to, Alexis always wanted to know everything that was on my mind and he wouldn’t leave me alone until I either stormed off or just gave in… Thinking back it just made what happened to us sting even more, how could he have pretended to care for so long?

**_It is good you are a Hunter; it will make getting up to it easier. You will also find it amusing to watch Zavala get up there as he is nowhere near as graceful in his movements as a Hunter._ **

I chuckled at Neptune’s words, whilst Titan’s were not as graceful as Hunters, or even Warlocks they had their own strengths both in and out of combat.

**If you think Sera is graceful you should see her getting her boots on… Or the body suit she wears under her armour… She is far from graceful when doing that**

“Cheers Orion…” I muttered and the little Ghost just smiled at me and flew around with Neptune, the two following us but also circling each other, like some sort of dance. It was rather cute actually. “Though… Being graceful isn’t everything. I certainly cannot hit like a Titan can, on more than one occasion that has got me in trouble, being up close and personal with an enemy and not being able to reach my knife” I sighed and Zavala smiled at me.

“I am of the believe Hunters are a lot stronger than they believe themselves to be, you are just quiet in your strength, therefore it does not seem like strength to you, it is more stealth and skill in your eyes” he stated and I smiled and shrugged, maybe… Maybe not.

“It is easy enough to punch an enemy with a charged attack or brute force, but to force a knife through their armour and into their body, I imagine it is not as easy as you made it look” he added and I thought about it a moment, almost missing that Zavala had changed direction.

“It does take some degree of strength, but also knowledge… Not point stabbing them where you know they are well armoured. The Vandal that got on the wrong end of my blade today wore no real protective armour, and the Fallen are rather squishy, easy to sink a blade into their unprotected skin. Though their chests are well protected when in armour unlike the back of their heads or side of their necks… and the neck, well that is really easy to sink a blade into and it you give it a little wiggle around you are pretty much guaranteed to kill them… now, a skull can be hard to pierce easily without some force behind the blow, but it is a guaranteed kill if you can find the softer spots or get the force needed right… Though, if you charge a blade with any form of elemental damage… That sucker is dead” I said, throughout my little ramblings about stabbing an enemy to death he had nodded at points, looked thoughtful and made noises of acknowledgement… Most other Guardians would have tuned out, especially Titans. Most are of the belief if you can’t punch it to death why even bother getting up close and personal in the first place.

“I have learnt many things from Cayde over the years… but he has never gone into such depth about using a blade against an enemy. He just pointed out the eyes on every living being were a good place to aim a throwing knife” Zavala commented and I chuckled, that was true, and all the information one would really need regarding throwing knives other than how to hold them… and throw them, and getting the shot lined up…

**_Cayde is very good with throwing knives… You were rubbish…_ **

I looked to Neptune then back to Zavala who shot his Ghost a sharp looked before looking back to where he was going. “You have tried using throwing knives… Please don’t tell me you let Cayde teach you, yes he is extremely skilled but my god that man could not teach a Warlock how to blink with a step-by-step guide” I exclaimed and I was sure Zavala was blushing slightly.

**_He did… Zavala was also somewhat inebriated._ **

“Oh… Now I wish I had seen that” I chuckled and stopped as we came to a dead end down one of the little back rooms in the Bazaar, there was a door, but it was locked.

**Urmmm… Where now?**

Orion enquired and Zavala gestured to the door and Neptune swopped down, did their Ghost thing and the door opened. “It is restricted to workers and the Vanguard… It leads onto the upper level of the tower, where a lot of the water tanks, vents and generators are placed” Zavala said walking up the stairs that were suddenly in front of us.

**I always wondered how people got up there… I just thought they were all fearless and had to jump the gap…**

I looked to Orion and smiled, he just shrugged at me and I let out a small sigh and looked back where I was going as we climbed the steps though a bit too late as I did not notice the change in step height and tripped.

“Got you!” Zavala suddenly stated and I let out a relieved sigh as he pulled me back up to my feet, one of his arm across my chest and the other on my back.

**_Good catch commander!_ **

“Defiantly… thank you” I breathed and Orion floated around me, scanning me for damaging and making sure I was OK. Zavala just removed his arms from around me and smiled at me. “So… I am not the most graceful Hunter out there, nor do I pay that much attention to where I am going sometimes…” I muttered and he chuckled as we carried on up the steps, eventually going through another door and onto the roof.

“Over there, can you see the vent sticking out?” Zavala asked pointing over to a fenced area on the other side, there was not any other visible way across. “Only the engineers have a key card to raise a platform into place allowing them across, and I have already been told off once for having Neptune raise it up…” he said and I just smiled, it was a funny thought, him being told off by someone other than Neptune.

**_So, now we have to jump across and scale the fence, something I imagine is extremely easy for a hunter like you_ **

I just chuckled and looked to Orion.

**She never misses a jump… The day she does, I shall tell everyone she knows, and probably people she doesn’t as well…**

“Well today is not going to be that day…” I commented as I looked over the edge, only a few beams to grab if this went wrong and the platform, though that would be a hard landing. But the jump would be easy enough.

“Well then, I shall let you go first” Zavala commented and I looked over to the area I was jumping to. There was a small ledge before the fence, but not a huge one. This should be easy with no heavy armour on adding extra weight.

I backed up enough to give myself a decent push off before running up to the ledge on this side, pushing off and getting enough height that I could grab the top of the fence and vault myself over it. Landing safely and intact on the other side. “EASY!” I called back across as Orion floated over; Zavala just looked to Neptune and said something though I couldn’t hear what it was. He then backed up, made a running jump and grabbed onto the top of the fence, his feet on the ledge, it was not a bad jump, he managed to push himself up and haul himself over the fence easily enough.

“Not too shabby… though all that armour is not helping, you could make the jump a lot more easily without it on” I stated as I walked round, looking at all the stuff up.

“I shall remember that for the future” he said and I smiled at him as I walked round.

**That view… It is amazing**

I looked round and spotted Orion looking out over the forest outside the walls, it was a beautiful view. I let out a content sigh and just sat down and looked out at the view, leaning back against a vent, this was nice, quiet… no one or anything wanting something from me.

“I like to come up here to clear my head, reorganise my thoughts… Amanda Holliday told me about it one day. She said it would be a bit of a difficult place to get to, but the view and peace and quiet was worth it… I think she only showed it me to get me out her hanger, but I like it here” Zavala sated sitting down beside me. I glanced to him and noticed his armour was gone… Replaced with a plain blue T-shirt, black three-quarter shorts and a pair of old boots.

“I… Close your eyes and focus” I stated, trying to sound confident in myself and he looked to me but nodded and did as I had asked, Neptune settling on his shoulder whilst Orion came to settle in my lap. Both aware of what I was planning, both knowing they would need to be quiet in order to aid us. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on Zavala…

__

_As the link was created I focused on a very specific memory and it started to form for both of us to see, both of us able to feel the emotions that had been racing through me at the time…_

_We all felt it, felt the light being ripped from us, our power being drained from us… Our Ghosts… Orion’s little light went out and he fell to the floor as I feel to my knees. What had the Cabal done to the traveller? What had that done to us?_  
  
I scrambled to pick Orion up, holding him as tightly as I could, as close as I could, I had never known life without him and not hearing his voice, the sounds his shell made as it moved… it was unsettling to say the least.   
  
“YOU BASTARD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!” Alexis yelled, forcing himself to his feet and charging at the Cabal stood before us, I tried to reach out, grab him and pull him back, he would be no match for him without his powers, without his Ghost’s backup… Though I had not expected what happened next… And from his reaction, Phobos had not either.   
  
The sound was loud; it was sharp and stung my ears, though it was over within a second. The Cabal had drawn his weapon and fired. Alexis stopped in his tracks, staying standing for a second or two before dropping to the floor, I watched his body carefully, hoping, praying for the tiniest bit of movement but there was nothing. The bullet had ripped through his armour like a hot knife through butter; I didn’t want to think about what it had done to his internal organs... Though it was too late, the thought had crossed my mind and I felt my lunch try and make reappearance. 

_… I took another deep breath and focused on the next important memory he would need to see to understand what had happened on that command ship…_

_Both myself and Phobos found ourselves knelt on the edge of the ledge, I looked to him and he looked to me. “I would say remember which cord to pull to deploy your parachute but I see you forgot yours as well” he chuckled; all I could manage was a half hearted smile… “See you on the other side Sera... it’s been an honour and a pleasure fighting alongside you, be it on the battlefield or in the line for ramen, the lifeblood of the hunter” he chuckled before crossing his arms over his chest, holding his Ghost close and falling backwards… Orion had already fallen over the edge, my grip had not been tight enough… I had lost him, just as I had lost Alexis, and now Phobos._  
  
I turned towards Ghaul, if this was how I was going to die, so be it… at least I would be with my fireteam soon enough. 

_… It was hard to relive the emotions, watch the memories back as if an outsider, as if I was floating around them. As I refocused myself I felt a wave of reassurance, telling me I could stop at any point, that I didn’t need to do this, he understood… But I needed to show him this, needed to share it with someone. Someone who would understand and be able to provide the right comforting words… One more… One more memory…_

_I rounded the corner and stopped in my tracks… Dead Guardians lay on the ground around the camp. Spent ammunition and broken blades lay on the floor next to them. They never stood a chance. Not without their light… None of us stood a damned chance..._

_‘If anyone’s out there, whatever the red legion did it’s like they flipped a switch… Every Guardians and Ghosts connection to the traveller just vanished… we’re gather survivors in the north western passage… They took our light they’re, they’re killing us’_

_I looked round for the source of the voice… a communications array stood in the middle of the camp. Repeating the same message over and over again in the same desperate voice, the same voice, a voice without hope or belief that this could be undone and changed…I just took a deep breath and walked through the camp, picking up a submachine gun with some ammo left in it and picking up some ammo for my side arm and loading it… and just in time._

_“Mutts…” I muttered as one jumped onto a rock in front of me and howled… I took aim and just hoped I survived this… Hoped there was hope for me._

_… I took another deep breath and once more felt the wave of reassurance; it was akin to a hug and it was exactly what I needed right now. Though maintain the link was draining what energy I felt like I had left so I started to sever the link, the reassurance never vanishing, just slowly fading._

____

I opened my eyes and quickly wiped the tears from them and blinked a few times to clear them off any lingering ones. I then glanced to Zavala who was looking out at the view, all thoughtful and handsome… So glad I had that thought outside of the link… that. That would have been beyond embarrassing.

“I have had my fill of death for all my lifetimes… I can’t bear the thought of losing anyone else and seeing all that death today, what they were doing to Guardians and Ghosts. Part of me wishes I never have to leave the city again… I have seen my fill of horrors, slain my fill of Gods for a lifetime. I just need time to rest, time to relax” I sighed, leaning to one side and resting my head on his shoulder. He stiffened slightly but relaxed quickly and rested his head atop of mine.

“Take all the time you need Sera… Unless I have no other option, I won’t make you go back out there unless you are ready. We have asked a lot of you over the years… we sent you into the Black Garden alone, we sent you up against Atheon, against Crota… Against Oryx and against the Siva War Machine… We then sent you up against Ghaul without even thinking about how you felt about all of this… You have given up a lot to keep us safe. I am sure we can put our safety in the hands of a different Guardian for a while” Zavala commented and I let out a content sigh and closed my eyes.

“You know… You are an extremely caring man, I don’t think I have ever met someone as caring as you are” I muttered, the day’s activities and how tired I actually was catching up with me. Zavala chuckled and I felt him shift and an arm wrap around my waist… Was this really happening?

“You are one of the bravest women I know, you are selfless and so willing to help… I am worried that will be your downfall, that I will ask too much of you in the coming years and despite your hesitation you will go out there and do it… I cannot send another good Guardian to their death… Especially not you… I don’t want to be responsible for causing you pain of any kind… especially not after today” Zavala replied, his voice raw with emotion and I shifted a little so I was slightly closer to him and could nuzzle into his neck.

“You have never been responsible for, nor will you ever be responsible for, causing me any pain, nor, if it ever comes, will you be responsible for my downfall” I replied as I finally got comfy and settled. Sleep creeping up on me, I needed to move… But I just didn’t want to. It was peaceful, it was calm and I felt safe…

**Sera… Are you… Falling asleep?**


	8. Chapter 8 - Would Hate To Be That Purple

**_She’s fallen asleep Zavala…  
_ Today has really taken its toll on her  
_Poor Huntress… Though, she looks happy. Does she always look like that when she sleeps?  
_ No… Most the time she looks sad, or distressed… Or is wide awake  
**  **** _Oh dear, that is very sad indeed… At least she is happy right now._

I looked down at the sleeping Hunter; I really did not want to disturb her, though there was only so long the two of us could stay up here unfortunately. Especially as the evening was drawing close and it would start to drop cooler soon… And Sera was not exactly in what I would call warm clothing, though the outfit did compliment her body extremely well.

I shook my head slightly. She was physically attractive, yes; there was no denying that… But, she was also rather vulnerable at this moment in time, now was not the time to be thinking about her in a romantic or sexual nature… Despite how comforting her presence was, how sweet her smile was… It was the sweetest smile I had ever seen. I could just imagine nights curled up on the sofa, relaxing together, maybe reading or watching a movie… I just sighed, she was beautiful and funny, she was caring and courageous… She was also reeling from the loss of everyone she held dear, potentially a lover, and the revelation the Fallen were running twisted experiments on Guardians they captured after the Red Legion attacked the city. How could I pursue a relationship with her, knowing she is recovering and needs stability, she needs time… Time I was happy to give her.

**She needs to eat Zavala… She didn’t eat the snacks she took with her nor did she eat when she returned… And she didn’t exactly keep her breakfast down for too long either.**

I looked to Orion and nodded; I then gently shifted and brought my free hand round to her shoulder, lightly shaking her shoulder. “Sera… Sera” I softly spoke and after a moment she let out a cross between a sigh and an annoyed groan and her eyes fluttered open. “You fell asleep” I very softly stated and she sat herself up and just stared out at the view for a moment before stretching her arms up and rolling her neck from side to side, smiling when it made what sounded like a very satisfying cracking noise.

“You know, without your big shoulder plate thing you make a half decent pillow” Sera giggled before looking to Orion who was just smiling at her.

**You need to eat… You may feel better then, have a little more energy.**

“I think you may be right Orion… Though I really cannot be bothered to cook tonight” Sera replied to her Ghost and before he replied or I could say anything Neptune piped up and made me wish that Ghost’s were mute.

**_Why don’t you cook for her Zavala! You are a good cook. And it would be a good way to show your appreciation for all she has done for the Vanguard over the years!_ **

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I can easily just get some ramen on my way back to my apartment, it is no problem” Sera stated, giving me a reassuring smile, letting me know I was in my way obligated to cook for her even though Neptune had suggested I do… Though I was enjoying her company a lot…

“No, I insist… You have, as I said, done so much for the city and the Vanguard; we ask so much of you and give nothing in return. Let me at least cook for you tonight, maybe for once a Hunters will eat something other than ramen” I joked and Sera just gave a look that said ‘Really… That is the joke you are going with?’ and I just smiled at her and started to pull myself up, though Sera remained seated on the floor, just looking up at me and I sighed and held a hand out for her which she gladly took and I pulled her up.

“You know, I am pretty sure you were perfectly capable of standing on your own then” I stated as we made our way back down to the Bazaar, both easily making the jump over to the other rooftop.

**She was, she is just lazy at times…**

Sera shot Orion a glare before looking to me and smiling. “I am tired is all… was easier than embarrassing myself trying and failing to pull myself up” she stated, brushing a strand of hair from her face as we descended the steps once more. Though before we reached the bottom I stopped and looked to Neptune who nodded and transmatted my armour back onto my body, Sera looking back at me, a weak smile graced her lips. “You know… I prefer you out your armour, you look cuddlier” she said before stopping and flushing a darker shade of purple, quickly making her way down the steps and back into the Bazaar. I just laughed and walked after her, smiling to myself.

**I cannot believe you just said that… You must be really tired; I am surprised you haven’t told him how much you love his eyes yet… Those amazing eyes you love to look at…**

I paused a moment and looked to Neptune who just gave me a look that said ‘Don’t do it’ and moved over to Sera causing her to jump.

**_I agree! He also looks younger out of the armour; it makes him look so OLD!_ **

“Really Neptune? You think I look old?” I asked my Ghost who looked to me, his shell moving as if he was shrugging at me, this caused Sera to let out something between a laugh and yawn. They had risen early and spent a fair few hours in the EDZ as well as travelling to and from it. Though it was only half one in the afternoon… Hardly time for tea.

“How about you go have a snack, take a nap and come to my apartment for shall we say five? And I will cook for you” I said and Sera looked to me and nodded. We then started to walk back through the Bazaar, various people nodding to us or saying hello to one of us or both.

**We shall see you later Commander Zavala, Neptune…**

I nodded to Orion and Sera just looked at me and smiled. “I shall see you then… Hopefully I won’t fall asleep on you this time” she stated before turning and heading towards the elevator. I heard a chuckle from behind me and looked over my shoulder to see Banshee looking over… Great, just what I needed, him getting the wrong end of the stick.

“Never would have pegged you as the type of guy to go for a Hunter, let alone Serafina, not exactly got the best history with dating Titans” he commented, I considered ignoring him and just going to see the line of Guardians waiting for me to return to my usual spot. Though I did not want to risk him saying something to Cayde and him getting the wrong end of the stick and then having to deal with his remarks.

“It is not what you think. The Vanguard has asked so much of her over the years, and today was a long and hard day for her. Showing my appreciation by making sure she has a decent meal and is OK in herself is the least I can do” I stated in my best ‘Commander’ voice but Banshee wasn’t buying it, it would seem, he just shook his head and went back to tinkering with his weapon.

“Just be careful with her Zavala… give her a reason to and she’ll never trust you again. I would say ask Alexis but Ghaul made sure you can’t” the gunsmith commented and I just walked away and over to the waiting Guardians to deal with whatever it was they were bringing to me.

Though one question kept playing on my mind, what had happened between her and Alexis?

__________________________________________________  
Cayde-6 – The Hanger Bay – Three in the afternoon  
__________________________________________________

I sighed, maybe training a chicken was not going to be as easy as I had first suspected it would be. Though how hard could it be? Hawthorn had managed to train Louis easily enough by the looks of it and he was a bird… How different could they be?

“CAYDE! GET THAT DAMNED ROAST DINNER OFF MY WORK STATION!” Amanda suddenly yelled and I jumped, quickly making my way over to her little set up, picking up Colonel from her work bench and giving her a charming smile to make her forget she was ever annoyed with me… Always worked. Mostly… Sometimes… I think, had it ever worked?

Cayde… As admirable as your efforts have been I do not think this chicken is an ideal candidate for Vanguard training, despite his abilities in ‘Cabal distraction and elimination’ which may I point out involved walking round in the street and nothing else…

“Awww, come on Ace, you are supposed to back me up no matter what!” I exclaimed as I placed Colonel down on the desk I had set up, as I did he settled down and started to nap. Sleepy chicken was cute. I liked it when he was sleepy… Meant people couldn’t yell at him for pecking their Ghost. At least no Ghost ever got too close a second time; they learnt their lesson and were more aware of chicken etiquette.

“Ace… What time is it anyway?” I asked my Ghost who just stared at me as if I was an idiot for a few seconds before floating to the chicken’s side and perching beside it, below the clock… Three. It was three.

I turned back and leant against the post behind me and watched as Guardians came and went, some stopping by with interesting little artefacts, others with requests or stories. Helped break the day up a bit listening to Guardians tell me about their adventures, given time one of them may take up the dare and set me free from this role, though until then I was needed by my friends and needed them in return… Not that I would ever admit that out loud though… Never.

“Well, what a surprise, the great Titan Vanguard come to my little corner of the tower!” I called as Zavala entered the hanger and walked over to me, though something was off, he looked unsure, he hardly ever looked unsure of himself, at least in public. “What can I do for you friend?” I asked and he looked round, Neptune looking at him as if begging him not to do what he was about to do.

“What happened between Serafina and Alexis?” he asked and I studied him carefully. Why was he asking? What was going on here? Why had he suddenly taken such an interest in one of my hunters? I mean, yes, Serafina did a lot for the Vanguard on his orders… But since when did he take a personal interest in the Guardians under his command to this extent?

**_You said you were not going to ask that! You lied! Zavala! She would not appreciate you going behind her back like this… And why does it matter? Why does her past lover affect you? You don’t need to know what went on between them to be able to have a relationship with her… Let her tell you! Come on! Cayde don’t tell him! For crying out loud!_ **

I held my hand up and Neptune stopped his ranting and scolding, sighing before looking to me, his little light bright and full of hope I would, for once, keep my mouth shut. “We best chat in Lakshmi’s office… and you buddy, have some explaining to do” I stated and started to make my way over to the Future War Cult offices, it had just been finished, though they would not be occupied for another week thankfully.

As we walked in I took one of the seats they had set out, rather comfy actually despite looking horrendously uncomfortable. “So… As Neptune kindly informed me you want to pursue a relationship with my best Lady Hunter as Shiro calls her… And you for some strange reason want to know about her relationship with Alexis” I stated… I should have brought Colonel in here with me, could do a Godfather moment… was that the movie… Or was it Jaws? Oh I couldn’t remember.

“We have been growing close and I believe we have developed… a bond” Zavala stated, pacing up and down the room. The man couldn’t even say the damned F word.

**_She fell asleep on his shoulder whilst talking at his quiet spot on the roof. He is also cooking for her tonight. And she thinks he is cuddly and has amazing eyes… Though we overheard the amazing eyes part, she didn’t exactly tell him herself…_ **

“Thank you Neptune… So you have developed feelings for her. Emotions… lust? Love? A strong emotional attraction that could be love at some point in the future making your heart hurt whilst you lay awake wondering if she feels the same?” I enquired and he just looked at me as if he was about to say something but stopped himself and took a seat opposite me.

“Cayde… I have not, since my rebirth, been in love or involved with anyone. I feel strongly for her, I feel protective of her; I worry about her, every time I see her I want to make her smile or laugh because she has such a beautiful smile and laugh… Is that love?” he asked me and I sighed, this was getting serious. Usually people didn’t come to me with the serious stuff, they went to Ikora or our now dearly departed Speaker.

To me that sounds like love… Or at least the very beginning of love

“It does Ace doesn’t it… Zavala, we are friends aren’t we? We have spent a long time fighting the Darkness side by side and helping rebuild humanity, you know I would never steer you wrong… At least not on such a serious matter anyway… So with what I say next please keep in my mind I only want what is best for my friends” I stated in my best serious voice and Zavala just nodded and took a deep breath, seemingly bracing himself for what I was about to say.

“Don’t let her slip away. You will be the biggest idiot ever if you do, and I mean ever in the history of history, I know very few women as loyal and caring as she is, if you enter a relationship with her it will be all or nothing, it is as simple as that” I stated, making sure I was extremely clear and serious, that there was no room for him to take my words in any other way.

What about his question about Serafina and Alexis?

I looked to Ace and back to Zavala. “That is not my story to tell buddy, it is hers and hers alone… Though know this. If you do enter a relationship with her, it will have no bearing on it, what happened between her and Alexis is done, he and Ghaul made sure of that one” I stated and Ace looked at me a little disapprovingly but I just shrugged at him.

“Thank you Cayde… I wasn’t sure who to go to with this, it is not a situation I am used to being in” he stated, standing and letting out a sigh of relief. “You are a good friend… I don’t feel like I tell you that enough” Zavala stated and I just stared at him for a moment, a little unsure of myself all of a sudden.

“Don’t sweat it buddy, you know I’ll always be here if you need me… just don’t need me on a Tuesday night, that is poker night with Amanda and I feel a winning streak coming on” I laughed and Zavala just smiled before making his way towards to door.

“Hey…. Zavala!” I called after him and he turned around and looked at me.

“She likes chocolate puddings… A lot. That Hunter has one hell of a sweet tooth” I stated and he just nodded before heading out the offices and back towards the courtyard.

This should be interesting to watch unfold…

“Indeed it will Ace… Hopefully it has a happy ending for both of them, they deserve that much” I commented before getting up and returning to my usual spot and a gaggle of eager hunters with lots of loot and lots of stories… And no chicken! Damn it!

__________________________________________________  
Sera – Her bedroom – Three fifty in the afternoon  
__________________________________________________

I rolled over in my bed and stared at the wall… I had managed to get about two hours sleep in, though now I just felt restless. Orion had noticed and reassured me we would get the Fallen behind the twisted experiments we had uncovered today, but that was not what was playing on my mind.

I had called him cuddly… Out loud! I could not believe I had done that; I had been so tired I hadn’t been thinking and it just came out. Though… He didn’t seem to be bothered by it; he actually smiled when I said it.

**Sera… it is coming up to four, probably best to get out of bed now**

I looked over to Orion has he made his way over to me, gently coming to rest on my chest.

**Also a good idea to start getting ready for dinner… Are you looking forward to it? I am**

“It will be nice no to have to deal with all the hassle of cooking… Though I just hope I don’t embarrass myself again, I cannot believe I called him cuddly! Or that I fell asleep on him… How was he with that? Did it bother him?” I asked, Orion just laughed and darted up to float above my head, looking down at me.

**He was looking at you very sweetly… I am of the opinion that if I had not told him you required food he would have let you sleep there as long as you needed, happily sitting next to you with his arm around your waist and head atop of yours like two sweethearts…**

I looked up at my Ghost… He looked at me sweetly?

**Sera… Remember when I asked you if you ever thought about love?**

I nodded… I still had the wedding band we had found in one of my ammo pouches… I would have to find somewhere safer to keep it, maybe get a little box for Orion to keep all the little things he has found and been intrigued by in.

**Well… Do you think you could love Commander Zavala?**

I was a little shocked at the question but I guess I should have seen it coming; he was not exactly the type of Ghost to keep questions or ideas to himself.

**I know you said you loved Alexis… But looking back at how you interacted with him compared to how you interact with Commander Zavala… I see stark differences. You are happier around Commander Zavala, you smile more.**

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I dragged myself out of bed and headed towards the bathroom to freshen up.

“I want to say it is just him being supportive, aware of how much I have done and been through for the city and the Vanguard… But I cannot deny there is more to it all than that, especially not after today. But after everything that happened… Realising that everything Alexis had ever said to me regarding our relationship was a lie, I just don’t want to have to go through that again” I sighed, splashing some cold water over my face to wake me up before heading back into the bedroom.

**I highly doubt Commander Zavala is anything like Alexis when it comes to being in a relationship. I think you just need to find the one… the right man who you just want to spend time with no matter what it is you do. Maybe Commander Zavala is that man; you just need to have that moment or realisation.**

I just nodded as I pulled some fresh clothing from my wardrobe; I grabbed a slightly longer pair of shorts than I had on earlier and a black tank top, pulling them on over my underwear and glancing over to the mirror I had in my bedroom, I needed to sort my hair out but other than that I was good to go.

**Just… Maybe start to think about love Sera, you deserve to be loved, and by someone other than me…**

“You are so sweet Orion… Just remember that you are my number one, you are my top priority and that will never change” I said, placing a hand on top of his shell and petting him as if he were a dog… Maybe I should get a dog? No… I wouldn’t have time for one, and it would probably try to eat Orion, poor Ghost does not need more things trying to eat him.

I grabbed my hair brush and sorted my hair out, spending a few minutes getting the parting right before heading into the living room and flopping down on the sofa… Half an hour till I had to head out.

**Sera… How does an Awoken telepathic link feel?**

I looked to Orion and was about to answer when I closed my mouth and stared at the wall thinking hard. How did it feel? It always felt different depending on what was being shared… There was no singular overriding feeling.

“Basically you can feel someone on the periphery of your mind… It is akin to when you catch something out the corner of your eye… And then depending on why you want to create the link depends on how it feels. If you are sharing a memory you will experience the emotions they felt then and there though if they are sharing emotions then it is more intense, you feel those emotions how they do and they can show you what in effect trigger those emotions… It is complicated…” I replied and Orion just nodded and came to settle on my shoulder.

**I wish I could experience it, see how you see the world and how it feels to you…**

“I wish you could too… Perhaps one day we can find a way to make it work and I will show you how I see and experience the world” I stated and Orion nodded, smiling at me, I liked it when he was happy. When he was happy and safe I felt happier and safer.

**Shall we head off, in case the elevator is busy?**

I looked to the clock and nodded, I am sure he would not mind me being a little early. “Come on then” I groaned as I pushed myself up off the sofa, grabbing my boots and slipping them on, simply tucking the laces in instead of doing them up properly.

**Wait… shouldn’t we take something? Like a bottle of wine? Anything… What do people do in situations like this?**

“You know wine goes straight to my head Orion, though you are right, we really should take something with us… I only think I have wine…” I murmured walking into the kitchen and grabbing an unopened bottle of red wine before heading out the apartment.

**Floor ten, room six… that is where we are heading…**

I nodded and called the elevator, not surprised to see it pretty much full with Guardians. I pressed the button for floor ten and just waited patiently as the elevator went up and down dropping off and picking up Guardian after Guardian as well as a few worker bots.

After a couple of minutes it stopped on floor ten and I managed to squeeze my way out and room six was pretty much straight in front of me. “Well, that wasn’t too difficult to find…” I sighed walking over to the door and rapping my knuckles against the metal door and waited.

**Sera… I feel nervous, why do I feel nervous? Am I feeling nervous for you? Is that it?**

Orion suddenly blurted out and I looked to him and raised a brow. “I have no idea why… Just, be yourself OK” I stated and he nodded and as I looked back to the door as it opened and Zavala was stood there smiling, dressed pretty similarly to earlier but instead of shorts he was wearing jeans.

“Come in… take a seat on the sofa, I have just put dinner in the oven” Zavala stated and I smiled and walked into the apartment, it was very organised, several bookshelves filled with books, a few ornaments scattered around and five or six pictures on the walls. It was nicely painted as well, a light cream colour which worked well with the dark furniture.

“I brought some wine… Though I have just realised I have no idea if you drink alcohol or not” I commented, rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand, my smile probably a nervous one.

**If you don’t do not worry, Sera is very adept at drinking!**

Zavala just chuckled and placed the wine on the dining table before moving round to join me on the sofa. “I do drink, thank you very much for brining the wine” he commented and I just smiled, glancing around the apartment, it was so organised and neat…. My apartment was tidy, there were just random mugs and cups everywhere and a few books scattered around.

“I don’t know why I am slightly surprised it is neat in here, you come across as a very organised” I commented looking to Zavala who glanced round and smiled.

“I like to know where everything is and to have easy access to everything so keeping the apartment tidy and neat allows that” he replied and I smiled and leant back into the cushions he had on the sofa.

“Mine is tidy, however I have coffee mugs all over the place, I really need to go round and gather them up and wash them” I sighed and Zavala chuckled whilst Orion just nodded at me before starting to float around with Neptune like she was giving him a tour of the apartment.

“So, what is it you are cooking for me tonight?” I enquired and Zavala smiled and seemed to relax a little more at the question, probably because it was something he could easily reply to… was he nervous like Orion? Like I was?

“I am making a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings and for pudding chocolate brownies with a sticky caramel sauce” he said and I found myself laughing and smiling. I LOVED chocolate, there was nothing better to have as a pudding in my opinion.

**Sera LOVES chocolate a lot… You’ll be her favourite person in the world if it tastes good**

“I am sure it will taste good” I stated, smiling at Zavala and he smiled back… Orion’s words running through my head about how he was likely nothing like Alexis and that I deserved to be loved… “Orion asked me a bit of a tricky question… What does an Awoken telepathic link feel like, what would you say it feels like?” I asked and Zavala looked to Orion who was now paying attention, as was Neptune.

“I would say it is an indescribable feeling at times, you can never be sure what you are going to feel and then to be hit by it, it can be very intense, amplifying not only the emotions the person who creates the link feels but your own as well, and the there seems to be this underlying feeling that I cannot place, it is akin to the feeling you get when you get butterflies in your stomach, but in your head” Zavala stated and I nodded in agreement, that was a good analogy.

**Interesting… What do butterflies in the stomach feel like…**

Both I and Zavala chuckled and looked to one another. “It is not something that is easy to describe I am afraid Orion” Zavala stated and Orion nodded, looking to Neptune who shrugged and the two of them continued bobbing around the apartment.

“Did you manage to get some rest this afternoon?” Zavala enquired and I nodded, shifting slightly and becoming acutely aware that I was blushing under his gaze. Damn his amazing eyes and sweet smile.

“I managed to get about two hours sleep which has helped, so I should be able to keep my eyes open during the conversation… I am sorry about that earlier; I did not mean to fall to sleep like that… It was. I was so tired and I think the drain of the link and all the emotions from that just did me in” I stated and Zavala smiled at me sweetly… was that how he was looking at me early? Orion had described it as sweet.

“I did not mind at all so no need to apologise Sera, it is nice to know you feel safe enough around me to fall asleep like you did… It was a compliment in a way” Zavala stated and I let out a small laugh.

“I guess, it is an odd compliment though, then again, calling you cuddly was probably and odd compliment as well” I sighed and Zavala chuckled and shifted so he was sat closer to me, a slightly nervous look on his face… Why was he nervous?

“Sera… I…” Zavala started but Neptune cut him off.

**_You need to baste the meat and shake the vegetables now… And may I suggest offering refreshments, perhaps the wine Serafina brought with her._ **

“Thank you Neptune… Would you like a glass of wine?” Zavala asked, I simply smiled and nodded. It would be nice to have some wine and relax a little, especially since everyone seemed to be nervous.

After a few minutes Zavala returned to the sofa, two glasses of wine in his hands, I took one from him and took a few sips, it was a rather nice wine actually, I was a little surprised, it had been a gift from my one neighbour so I had no idea how the quality of it as it was simply a thank you present for helping them sort some furniture out.

“So, you were saying something before you were called away” I chuckled and Zavala took a rather large sip of his wine before placing the glass on the coffee table. I placed mine down as well, not wanting to hold the glass for long in case I drank it too fast and made a fool of myself.

“Yes, I wanted to ask you if you were interested in a relationship…” Zavala stated, his voice softer than usual, nerves clear in it as well… And I was sure he went a darker shade of blue.

**Yes!**

“Orion! He didn’t ask you!” I snapped.

**So… You won’t shut up about his eyes…**

“No, you won’t shut up about his eyes, I said it once and you won’t let it go” I hissed at Orion.

**Oh come on Sera! You know you like him! Just admit it and say yes!**

“I was about to say yes when you jumped in and answered a question that wasn’t directed at you” I stated and Orion looked at me a little sheepish.

**Oh… Sorry… Carry on… I will be over here… Good job I can’t blush, would hate to be that purple…**


	9. Chapter Nine - Don't Make A Bet With A Hunter

__________________________________________________  
Zavala – His apartment – Half five  
__________________________________________________

Sera gasped and glared at Orion who retreated back to where Neptune was, the two Ghosts then settling in a corner and watching us from afar.

“So… I take it you are interested in a relationship” I chuckled and Sera took a deep breath and looked to me, nodding.

“I am… with you, you make me feel safe and secure… I just, damn it Zavala I have no idea how I have suddenly developed these feelings for you but I have and, if you feel the same what is the point in denying myself some happiness in life?” she sighed and I just smiled and moved closer to her, placing a hand on her cheek and looking into her eyes… She was beautiful and smiling.

I leant forward, pressing my lips against hers, her eyes fluttering shut as she returned the kiss. My own eyes slowly sliding shut as our lips moved against each others, taking in the others taste and feel. Her lips were soft and sweet, the taste of the wine still lingering on them.

After a moment I pulled back and looked down at her, she just dropped her head and was resting it against my shoulder, her breath tickling the exposed skin of my neck. I could also feel her chest rising and falling, she was breathing faster than she had been earlier, I could tell that much from the movements of her chest, and then again I was pretty sure I was as well.

“I hope all the kisses you give me are as good as that one” Sera whispered and I chuckled, pulling her closer and laying back so we were cuddled up together… Only a movie playing on the television missing and it would have been exactly how I had imagined it earlier on today.

“I shall try my best… Though maybe before more kisses we learn a little more about the other outside of our roles as Vanguard and Guardian… learn more about what we do in our spare time” I suggested and Sera nodded, moving her legs for a moment, two thuds signalling she had freed her feet from her shoes allowing her to bring her legs up and to tuck her feet underneath herself.

“Well, when I am in the Tower for a while I usually spend some spare time in the crucible, show the newer Guardians how it is done and get my ass handed to me by the more experienced crucible Guardians… Or I will spend time with Cayde; probably have a slow game of cards or just chat. But to be honest most my time spent in the Tower is spent eating and sleeping when I am not out and about on patrol… What about you… what do you do when you are not stood out there dealing with all us Guardians bringing you information and odd objects?” Sera enquired, shifting so she could sit back and look at me, a content smile gracing her lips.

“Well, I crotchet in my spare time, though I have not had that much time for it recently. I find it calming, it gives me something creative and purposeful to focus on that does not have anything to do with the Vanguard… I also like cooking, reading as you can probably tell, and now and then I supervise the movie night the Guardians put on for the children at the orphanage” I stated and Sera’s smile widened as she studied me, studied my expression and features.

“I imagine you are good with children… Titan’s tend to be, but I think it is because most are on their wavelength. It is like they never really grew up, just big kids on an adventure” Sera chuckled and I had to agree with her there. “Though I like reading as well, I have a few book shelves but most are filled with odds and ends from patrol… Some I should probably get rid of to be fair, like that artichoke I found in one of Cayde’s stashes…” she commented and I looked at her a little confused but she waved the last comment off.

“You know, there is a movie night for the children in the orphanage in a few night, Fireteam Boom is putting it on, they found a cache in the EDZ of old movies, some created before the Golden Age… I think the movie they picked is called The Lion King” I commented and Sera smiled and nodded. “You should stop by, see just how much of a big kid some Titans can be” I added earning a laugh from her causing me to smile at her and place a kiss on her temple; she looked up at me, smiling from ear to ear.

**Sera… If I may…**

Orion cautiously stated floating over with Neptune, Sera smiling at him and holding a hand out for him.

**I believe it would be good for you to socialise with other Guardians and to be around Zavala… You have not stopped smiling yet… and also… I want to see The Lion King!**

Orion exclaimed causing Sera to chuckle and nod at her Ghost. “Very well Orion, we will go” she said and the little Ghost spiralled up and made a rather happy noise before floating back over to where he and Neptune had been settled.

**_Also… I am glad that Zavala asked you to enter a relationship with him; it seems to have made him extremely happy. It is nice to see him happy…_ **

I just nodded at Neptune who then bobbed back over to Orion, the two settling down and seemingly having a conversation of their own, though they were rather quiet, making sure they did not disturb the two of us on the sofa.

“So… When did you realise you had feelings for me?” Sera asked reaching for her glass of wine and taking a few more sips. I took a deep breath, letting it out along with a thoughtful hum. When had I realised? Could I pinpoint the moment?

“The feelings have been there for a while but I believe I realised them fully today when Luca was flirting with you in that god awful hospital and that Vandal attacked you, I was… still am… scared of losing those close to me... Though Neptune kindly informed Ikora and Cayde I had feelings for an unknown Guardian the other day and they pushed me to pursue a relationship with them, you, and I brushed it off, saying I had to many responsibilities, not wanting to admit to them my fear of losing them… Or you…” I stated, Sera placed her wine back down and then cuddled into me, placing a hand over my chest, resting it just above my heart.

“You won’t lose them or me Zavala… We have our Light back; our Ghosts are capable of resurrecting us once more… And it isn’t like Cayde or Ikora are in a particularly dangerous place conducting their Vanguard business is it… I mean, there are holes in the hanger floor but I am sure Cayde can avoid them if he really tries” Sera chuckled and I smiled at her, resting my head on hers.

“What about you… When did you realise you had feelings for me?” I asked, Sera shifted slightly, moving her hand to my shoulder and resting it there. Her fingers gently tracing patterns on my skin, patterns I recognised but could not quiet place…

“This morning… When you smiled at me and I suddenly had butterflies in my stomach. I mean on Io I perhaps started to realise the feelings but pushed them to the back of my mind out of fear I guess” Sera sighed, continuing to trace the patterns… What were they?

Wait… Out of fear of what? I looked down at her; she was concentrating on the ministrations of her hand. “Sera… What did you fear?” I asked and she stopped tracing the pattern and was quiet for a moment.

“I was involved with a member of my fireteam… Alexis Ward. Our relationship did not end well, we wanted different things and I was scared that would be the case again” She all but whispered, I just pulled her in closer, bringing my free hand up to the one she had resting on my shoulder and taking hold of it.

“Tell me what you want from a relationship… From this relationship” I stated and Sera was about to speak when my timer… also known as Neptune, went off.

**_Zavala, sorry to interrupt but the food requires your attention…_ **

Sera shifted, a soft smile on her face as she leant forward and retrieved her wine from the coffee table, allowing me to stand and head over to the kitchen to continue with preparing our meal. “I want something stable, a partner I can count on to be there for me when I need them… I want a partner who sees our relationship as more than a fling or just a bit of fun” Sera stated, I glanced over at her; she was sat back on the sofa, watching me work.

“I understand that, I want exactly the same thing… Nights sat together watching movies or reading. Just relaxing together and enjoying each other’s company” I replied, walking back over to the sofa and sitting back down next to Sera. I smiled as she immediately shuffled closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder as she had done earlier. “Sleepy?” I chuckled earning a laugh from her.

“No… Just happy… Still a bit surprised I guess. I knew you must feel something for me or you would not have been so… so caring, so helpful and supportive. But I didn’t think you would act on it, at least not how you did or as soon as you did” she commented and I smiled and moved my arm so I could wrap it around her, gently squeezing her arm.

“I didn’t think I would either if I am honest, I was almost talking myself out of it earlier today… You seemed too vulnerable and like you needed time to simply collect yourself and relax. But then…” I stopped and sighed, realising what I was about to say, “I am never going to live this down if he hears about this… Cayde gave me the push I needed” I finished and Sera moved her head to look up at me, a little surprised.

“You spoke to Cayde about me? What did that bucket of bolts have to say then? Must have been good if you asked…” Sera commented, her lips twisting into a smirk and I thought back to my conversation with the Exo.

“He basically told me I would be an idiot to let a woman as loyal and caring as you slip away” I admitted and Sera laughed and shifted so she could sit facing me, her legs crossed beneath her and her hands resting in her lap.

“I am surprised he was so nice about me… Then again, I did save him from getting trapped in an infinite loop and potentially murdered by the Vex” Sera commented and I chuckled, reaching for my wine and taking a few sips before looking back to her, her expression was soft, a beautiful smile gracing her lips…

“Your staring” she chuckled and I leaned forward capturing her lips in mine and pulling her into me. She responded immediately by wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing back, though I wasn’t expecting her to move forward as quickly as she did causing me to fall backwards onto the sofa, leaving her straddling me.

Sera giggled and pulled back from the kiss, looking down at me, her legs either side of my hips and her hands still wrapped around my neck. She was looking down at me, uncertainty in her eyes and I just smiled at her and pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear, most just falling right back down.

“Sera, we don’t have to do anything you are not comfortable with, we can just talk, cuddle… eat a nice meal… I am not expecting anything more than that… This goes at a pace you are comfortable with” I softly stated, she smiled at me, leaning down and kissing me softly before pulling away and moving off of me and back the position she was sat in beforehand. I sat up, the expression on her face has changed, she no longer looked uncertain, she looked calm, happy.

“You know… you’re everything and nothing like I imagined. You can come across harsh and demanding, a strong and capable leader who will do anything to protect those he cares about and those in need. But you are also extremely caring and thoughtful; you will do what you can to make those around you comfortable and to make their lives easier even if you don’t need to. You could have easily pushed me for and probably received sex but you could see I was unsure and you stopped things going any further… Not many men are like that… At least not many I have come to know as well as I have you” Sera commented, something telling me there was a story to be told but that was for another time. I wanted to make tonight more relaxed, which was always the aim, even before entering a relationship with her.

“I would never ask something of you personally if you were uncomfortable with it, it is not a position I would want to put you in, or anyone else for that matter” I stated and Sera simply smiled at me.

**_Zavala… The food… It will be close to ready_ **

I nodded at Neptune, getting up from the sofa and making my way back to the kitchen, sorting the food out, it was all ready, and thankfully none of it was burnt. “Looks like it is ready…” I stated, Sera standing, grabbing her wine and moving round to the dining table, downing her wine as she went.

**Alcoholic…**

Sera just chuckled, glancing over to Orion who appeared to be smiling, though I could not quite see as he was angled away from me. “Just because you cannot drink or eat does not make me an alcoholic or greedy… It isn’t my fault you weren’t designed to enjoy such things” Sera remarked, Orion simply sighing.

 **I just want to know what things taste and feel like… Is that so bad?**  
_It would be nice to be able to experience the pleasures of life… food, drink, intimacy…  
_ It would wouldn’t it… It is just a shame we were not designed to be able to do so  
_Indeed… I would say our only design flaw._

“Really… That is your only design flaw?” Sera questioned causing both Ghosts to look at her a little confused. “Orion, how much has your big mouth got me into trouble? Both out in the wilds and in the Tower” Sera queried, the little Ghost looked thoughtful for a minute before chuckling.

**Well, maybe you should be clearer in your instructions when we go to converse with difficult individuals… Like Asher Mir…**

“You were extremely sarcastic towards him, and I appreciate he is far from an easy man to get along with but I would like to reframe from annoying him too much… Or at all actually” Sera commented, pointing her knife at the little Ghost who just nodded at her.

**At least this time you are not holding it as if you are going to throw it at me**

I found myself chuckling as I placed the plates on the table before topping up Sera’s wine. “I hope you enjoy it” I smiled; Sera looked at me, a small but sweet smile gracing her lips, her eyes bright… Hopeful… Happy…

“I am sure I will” Sera replied as I took my seat, both of us starting our meal, Sera seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it.

__________________________________________________  
Sera – Zavala’s Apartment – Six fifteen in the evening  
__________________________________________________

It did not take long for me to finish my meal, nor my second glass of wine, both myself and Zavala made small talk whilst we ate.

“That was lovely… I would never have taken you for such a good cook” I stated, taking a sip of my third and probably final glass of wine. “I am not that great at cooking, I mean I can make myself a decent meal but nothing as good as this” I added as Zavala finished off his first glass of wine… Maybe I should slow down with the alcohol…

“I was not always this good at cooking believe it or not… Though I guess that is one of the benefits of a long live, over time you develop new skills and become better at things that you were once far less adept at” Zavala commented and I nodded.

“Maybe there is hope for my cooking skills yet… Then again, most my skills revolve around being able to survive in the wild and to eliminate any threats to myself or others. Being able to cook a really good meal has never been a skill I have found myself in need off…” I stated, trailing off as I thought back to a conversation I had with Phobos not long before the Red Legion attacked about a Hunters skill set and what they lacked…

“Sera, are you OK?” Zavala asked and I looked back to him and smiled, nodding… Lying… Maybe Phobos has been right in what he had said that day…

“I was just thinking about a conversation I had with a Warlock I knew a while back…” I replied before picking up my glass of wine and taking a few more sips. Though it was probably not best to lie to the man I was now in a relationship with, then again, it had been a few hours, he didn’t need my entire back story right now… He would probably change his mind about wanting to be with me if he knew it all… Seemed to be the decision most who knew it made.

“I get those moments, someone will say something and all of a sudden you find yourself remembering a conversation you had all but forgotten” Zavala replied, I just nodded, glancing over to Orion who was looking at me, a sceptical expression letting me know he was aware of my lie.

“So… I believe you said something about chocolate pudding” I stated, changing the topic and causing Zavala to let out a laugh.

“I did… It takes about twenty minutes to cook, can you hold on that long?” he jokingly asked and I just took another sip of my wine as he went to put a covered dish in the oven, nodding to Neptune, doing as many Guardians did and having their Ghost aid them in their day to day lives and not just out on the battlefield.

“How about we sit on the sofa again, it is a lot comfier after all” Zavala suggested and I nodded, standing and making my way round to the sofa, purposefully leaving my wine on the table. Probably best if I didn’t finish it off as quickly as I had my second glass.

“You made a comment early that makes me think there is a story there… You said Cayde is skilled but not a very good teacher… Talking from personal experience?” Zavala asked and I chuckled and nodded.

“Though if you want to hear it you have to tell me why Cayde was teaching you to use a throwing knife” I stated and Zavala sighed whilst Neptune chuckled… This could be interesting.

“I made the mistake of saying it was something anyone could do… Cayde and the other Hunters present at the bar took this as an insult and stated that if I could get one bull’s-eye on the target they would buy every Titan in the bar a drink… we outnumbered them in that bar and I had an audience so could not exactly back down… Cayde being the friend he is gave me a few pointers and then five knives, none even hit the target” he stated and I tried to contain my laughter, but the smirk on my face probably said it all.

“You can laugh… All the other Hunters who have ever heard the story have done as have any Warlocks even some Titans, most just look slightly embarrassed” Zavala commented, though I still held back my laugh.

“No… It isn’t that funny…” I commented, Zavala looking at me, his expression telling me he knew it was that funny to me, and it was… It was actually really funny to know a Titan lost a bet. “Though… Saying you couldn’t back down, I doubt you would have even if you could… and who says that around even one Hunter, never mind Cayde and a bar full? It is like saying ‘I bet you couldn’t’ to a Hunter because we then take it as a challenge and you know damned well we won’t give up until we are dead or it is proven without a doubt it cannot be done… And even then we will still give it a go” I added, Zavala sighing and reaching for his glass of wine, finishing it off in a few mouthfuls.

“OK… So how did you know he is a rubbish teacher?” he enquired, changing the subject to save himself any more embarrassment. I just chuckled and shifted closer to him, intertwining our legs together causing him to smile.

“So, my main weapons are a scout rifle, a sub and I switch between a rocket launcher and a sniper… Now and then I will break the sword out… But anyway, I have no patience for hand cannons; I just seem incapable of getting along with them. Now Cayde found this inexcusable so tried to give me some tips to be able to better wield one… Not used one since and Cayde is perfectly happy for me to never even look at one again, especially after his instructions ended up with me shooting him in the shoulder instead of the apple he had on top of his head, though Shaxx found it hilarious” I chuckled whilst Zavala just smiled at me, shifting slightly and moving closer to me.

“Sera… do you want anyone to know about this?” he suddenly asked, and I took a deep breath and looked to him, he had a more serious expression on his face now, I just smiled and moved so I could lean into him. His arms snaking round my waist and pulling me in. “We don’t have to tell anyone, we can just it be the two of us and our Ghosts, spending time together, enjoying each other’s company” Zavala added and I nodded.

“I like the sound of that…” I muttered, laying my head against his shoulder and closing my eyes, hopefully I would not fall asleep this time, hopefully.

**_Zavala… The chocolate pudding_ **

Zavala groaned and I realised he had leant his head back and was relaxing as well, I just chuckled and started to wiggle away. “Come on mister… You heard the Ghost” I giggled as he tightened his grip around my waist trying to keep me close. “Oh no, you are not denying a Huntress her pudding” I laughed and managed to twist and wiggle a bit to untangle our legs and sit myself up, smiling back down at Zavala who was just smiling at me… he had such a nice smile… such beautiful eyes.

“Very well, so don’t bet with Hunters or don’t deny them their pudding” he chuckled as he pushed himself up and headed into the kitchen, spooning the delicious smelling chocolate pudding into two separate bowls before walking back over to the sofa with them and two spoons.

**That looks soooo good… Better than that one Cayde made you for your re-birthday**

Orion stated and I chuckled and nodded, it did didn’t it. “Let’s not tell Cayde that, otherwise he will just keep dropping chocolate puddings round until I say one of his is better” I replied and Orion chuckled.

**Or hear ‘as sweet as you’ jokes… He seems to think when he makes those jokes he is funny…**


	10. Chapter 10 - Hunters Tend To Do That

__________________________________________________  
Sera – Her apartment – Half ten at night  
__________________________________________________

I sighed as I flopped down onto my bed, Orion circling me, smiling down at me… I think he was as happy as I was at the outcome of this evening…

__

_Once we had both finished our pudding we sat talking about life and about how being Guardians had affected our lives… we also sat cuddling._

_“I think not knowing our past life gives us very little else to focus on or any other purpose… Maybe if we knew we potentially had family out there we could pursue them or our family lines. We would not be as focused on fighting back the Darkness and helping secure a home for humanity” Zavala stated and I nodded in agreement._

_“True, though then again, with how long we had been dead before we were reborn and the devastation the darkness left in its wake, what is the chance any of our family survived… I mean, I was most likely heading for one of the various ships leaving Earth from the Cosmodrome in Old Russia, potentially with family and if I didn’t make it, what are the odds they made it?” I stated, Zavala just looked down at me, a sad expression on his face._

_“That is a rather glass half empty way to look at it” he stated and I shrugged, I found myself tracing the same patterns over and over again on his leg as I leant back against him… I knew the symbol... Why couldn’t I place it?_

_“I just don’t see the point in thinking about what happened to us before our re-birth… We are no longer that person, all that is gone, all our family has gone… I mean, even the Exo’s woke up with no memory there must be some reason, they rarely forget unless they have been reset as many times as Banshee has… I guess… I guess I don’t like to think about it because it means realising that I don’t have any family… Yes I have Jackal and Luca… You, Cayde… But… I have no one I have known my entire life other than Orion, and he is very obviously not related to me” I sighed, Zavala just pulled me closer._

_“Well, from now you have me… OK. I am going to be here for you… All or nothing Sera” Zavala stated and I looked up at him, smiling. He was such a caring man, it made me feel extremely lucky._

_“Thank you…” I whispered, craning my neck upwards and connecting our lips. As the kiss slowly deepened I slowly moved to turn around, coming to face him, his hands coming to rest at my hips and I manoeuvred myself to sit in his lap._

_“Sera…” he whispered against my lips and I hummed, letting him know I had heard him but we continued to kiss. “Remember… We… Don’t have to… Do anything…” he muttered between kisses. I pulled back slightly and smiled at him._

_“I know… But you have really soft lips” I chuckled and Zavala just smiled, pulling me in closer, turning the kissing into hugging._

__

**You look very happy… I am glad, like I said; you deserve to be loved…**

I looked to Orion and chuckled, “I know… Now come on, bed time” I sighed, the sigh turning into a yawn as I wriggled out of my clothing and under the covers, happy and content and very ready for a good night’s sleep after an emotional rollercoaster of a day.

_________________________________________________________  
Zavala – Tower Courtyard – Two days later in the morning  
_________________________________________________________

I stood looking out over the city; I had spent the night at Sera’s apartment after having enjoyed a bottle or two of wine together and now had a hangover and was stood hoping Cayde did not come for an early morning visit with that damned chicken.

**_Zavala… Having never seen sexual intim…_ **

“Let me stop you right there Neptune… Me and Sera have not spent the night together in that way and when we do neither you nor Orion will be in the room” I stated and Neptune looked at me a little annoyed but nodded, seeming to understand.

**_Very well… Oooh… Look who is coming over, all geared up as well!_ **

I turned to see Sera walking over, conversing with Orion and checking over a sniper rifle.

**_Ooooh, shiny…_ **

Neptune stated, starting to float over to Sera who looked up and greeted the Ghost as you would a dog, petting him on the top of his shell which Neptune seemed to enjoy. As they got closer their conversations became clear.

“Oh I am only going out for a couple of hours… See Devrim and test this beauty out. If he is nice and makes me a cup of tea I may even let him have a go” Sera chuckled, Neptune returning to my side and Sera holstered the weapon across her back. I had to admit, it was a very interesting looking sniper rifle.

“You feel up to going out there?” I enquired; Sera gave me a reassuring smile and nodded once, her body language showing how determined she was to head back out there. “OK… You just be careful out there, don’t you and Devrim go getting into too much trouble” I stated, Sera chuckling and looking to Orion who just sighed.

**They will… I can pretty much guarantee that, last time they have a competition to see who could get the most kills… One of them almost shot another Guardian after the other shot and killed a Cabal Phalanx a Hunter was sneaking up on; luckily the Hunter had to dodge to avoid the body.**

“Devrim almost shot them… Not me, he just won’t admit that… Anyway I best be off, just thought I would see how you are holding up after so much wine” Sera chuckled and I smiled at her, waving her last comment off.

“I am fine. You seem no worst off despite having drank at least three glasses more than I did” I stated and Sera shrugged.  
  
**Turns out Hunters can hold their alcohol rather well…**  
_Better than Titans most likely… And don’t lie, you have a hangover, you just won’t admit that.  
_ Sera seems to be able to avoid hangovers, part of me thinks it is how little she sleeps, what was it, three hours last night?

“Yeah about three, maybe four… though to be honest after a really long day I can sleep through the night and the morning so I more than make up for it” Sera commented, Orion let out an exasperated sigh whilst I just looked to Sera, slightly concerned.

“I didn’t realise you got so little sleep last night” I stated and Sera just shrugged, her expression one of slight boredom, probably because it was a topic that had been unnecessarily dragged out in her eyes.

“Like I have said before, Hunters are notorious for suffering with Insomnia… Some more so than others” Sera shrugged, Orion just rolled his eye whilst I simply nodded, if it was not having a negative effect on her I was not going to comment. “Anyway, I have Devrim to annoy and trouble to cause… I’ll see you tonight…” Sera half stated, half asked, I smiled.

“Maybe, it is the movie night tonight and I am going to head down and make sure my Titans are not getting themselves or the children into trouble” I stated, Sera let out a small laugh before taking a few steps back.

“Maybe I’ll come down and see just how childish Titans can be then… Oh… And keep an eye out for Cayde’s chicken, he lost it again so it is wandering freely round the Tower” Sera chuckled before turning and heading off… I just sighed, that chicken was going to cause more trouble here than she could in the EDZ.

**_STAY SAFE!_ **

Neptune called after the Hunter earning himself a thumbs up which seemed to make him rather happy.

**_I think she likes me too…_ **

He smiled and I looked to him, “You are aware I am your Guardian right, you and Orion cannot do a swap. You do know that right?” I jokingly asked Neptune who looked to me and chuckled.

**_What makes you think he would swap for you? If I was to leave you to serve as Sera’s Ghost she would end up with two… But don’t worry… I won’t leave you, you are my Guardian and I am loyal to you Zavala, nothing will change that._ **

“Good to know Neptune… Now keep an eye out for our less fine feathered friend running round the Tower” I stated and Neptune nodded and went back to looking out over the city and at the Traveller… If that chicken got up there I would be more than impressed.

An hour or so passed, a few Guardians coming over to divulge information or hand in interesting objects they had found out in the field… The Tower actually seemed quiet, we at least it did until Shaxx yelled out.

“CAYDE! I WILL COOK THIS CHICKEN FOR DINNER IF IT GETS UP THERE AGAIN!” The Crucible Master yelled, and despite Cayde being in the hanger I was pretty sure he heard him.  
  
I sighed and glanced over to see the chicken had somehow found its way onto the skull he had hanging above him. I just chuckled and Shaxx looked over in my direction, seeing my amused expression and deciding that it was my turn to be yelled at.

“ZAVALA! GET YOUR HUNTER VANGUARD TO PUT A LEASH ON THIS THING!” Shaxx yelled and I sighed and turned to head to the hanger to fetch Cayde when the Exo came racing into the courtyard and over to where the chicken had decided to take up occupancy.

“DON’T COOK HIM! SHAXX IF YOU COOK HIM I WILL… I WILL DO SOMETHING! SO YOU BEST NOT COOK MY CHICKEN!” Cayde yelled at Shaxx who just let out a booming laugh as the Exo Hunter waved a finger in his face, because that was going to intimidate Shaxx.

“TRY ME HUNTER! I WILL SQUISH YOU!” Shaxx roared in laughter causing Cayde to re-evaluate his tactics and he whispered something to the Crucible Handler causing him to take a step back and look at the Exo, regarding him for a moment before gesturing to the chicken. This prompted Cayde to begin to try and tempt the chicken down whilst Shaxx started to make his way round to me.

**_What do you think Cayde said to him to get him to calm down and leave the chicken alone?_ **

“Not a clue, however I imagine I am about to find out” I stated as Shaxx approached me and leant against the railing and looked out over the city before glancing over to Cayde still trying to coax the chicken down.

“He says you did not spend the night at your apartment… But with a female friend” Shaxx commented and I glanced to him, suddenly a little unsure of myself, I had known Shaxx a long time and he had the ability to tell when I was lying.

“Did he now” I stated looking back out over the city, Shaxx just let out an uncharacteristically quiet chuckle. He knew there was something up, our years of working together under Lord Saladin and building the city up to what it was today had forged a very close friendship… closer than we had admitted at times… but it meant he knew when I was lying and when something was bothering me.

“If you told Cayde you have a partner before me I will not be impressed” Shaxx commented and I shook my head, Neptune circling Shaxx’s Ghost Hercules, the two seemingly playing a game.

“I didn’t tell him, at least not directly” I stated, Shaxx looked to me, waiting on an explanation, and for once I was thankful Neptune decided to step in and explain the situation for me, even if it did mean I would be telling another of a relationship myself and Sera had decided to keep quiet.

**_OK… Here is the short version. Zavala likes Sera, he became aware she was in a relationship with her former Fireteam member Alexis Ward who was killed when the Red Legion attacked… This prompted him to seek advice from Cayde having arranged to cook Sera a meal as a show of appreciation for all she has done for the Vanguard over the years. He basically told Zavala he would be an idiot to let a woman like Sera slip away and that the story of her and Alexis was not his to tell… He also told him to cook her chocolate pudding._ **

“OK… So, I take it the evening went well if you spent the night with her” Shaxx chuckled, louder than he had earlier causing a few nearby to look over but they quickly looked back away, not wanting to be seen staring.   
  
“We have not spent the night together like that Shaxx… She has been through a lot since the attack took place; I want her to be sure this is what she wants… What we both want” I stated and Shaxx looked to me. I knew the look he was wearing under his helmet; I knew exactly what it was. Concern, worry… his own uncertainty.

“Do you want to be in the relationship? Do you want to call her yours?” he asked his voice cautious… He probably did not want to pry too much but at the same time he wanted to ensure I was not in the relationship for any other reason than I wanted to be… to make sure I truly cared for Sera.

“Of course I do Shaxx… Whenever I am around her I feel calmer, happier… When she smiles, have you ever noticed how beautiful she is when she smiles” I sighed, Shaxx placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. “I… I think I am falling in love with her Shaxx, but I am not sure if she feels the same. You know I have not been with anyone in that way since my re-birth so this is all new to me” I admitted, Shaxx removing his hand and chuckling once more.

“Zavala, has she given you any reason to doubt she does not have at least some feelings for you past lust, because… well, who wouldn’t” he commented and I found myself smiling, he always knew what to say to cheer me up.

“No, she hasn’t… In fact, she has only ever given me reason to believe that she feels the same as I do, she is just more cautious I imagine. Probably due to whatever occurred between her and Alexis” I sighed, Shaxx glanced back over to his usual spot in the Tower where Cayde was now sat throwing bread up at the chicken, the bird not budging an inch… Where had he had that bread?

“Look… you are a good man, a very caring man and I am sure she is aware of that, but if she has been stung by love before she may simply tread more carefully. Maybe you need to ask her what happened between her and Alexis, then put any fears she has to bed, get yourselves on the same page” Shaxx stated standing up right… I had almost forgotten how tall he was.

“Thank you” I stated and he just nodded and started to head back to his own little spot in the tower.

“Though if you two want to keep things under wraps Neptune may want to be a little less affectionate to the Huntress… It is not like him to leave your side for just anyone” Shaxx suddenly commented glancing at me over his shoulder, chuckling at my most likely shocked expression before carrying on back to his station, picking up a broom on the way… That chicken was in for a shock.

__________________________________________________________________________  
Sera – In the church tower in the EDZ – Two hours after departing the tower  
__________________________________________________________________________

I sat drinking my cup of tea; my rifle leant up against the wall whilst Devrim was taking out Fallen with his own. He had tried mine out but found it ‘too complicated’ and gone back to using his own.

“So… who left those marks on your neck Sera?” Devrim asked coyly and out of nowhere, causing me to choke on my tea, almost spurting it out my mouth causing him to laugh. “Did you not realise they were on show…” he commented and I brought an un-gloved hand up to my neck, with my helmet off part of my neck was exposed… Shit.  
  
“Damn that Titan” I hissed looking to Orion who just looked back at me a little confused for a moment before understanding what I was asking of him and ‘healing’ the love mark I had on my neck.   
“So, a Titan…” Devrim commented, looking thoughtful for a moment and I just sighed, this was not going to be fun, he was like a dog with a bone with this sort of thing, he was not going to let it go until he knew who it was.

“Yes, a Titan” I commented, returning to drinking my tea, maybe if I dragged it out he would get bored and just give us with asking me about it… Maybe.

“Which Titan would that be?” he asked, I just sighed and he glanced back at me, his usual smirk on his face, it made me want to punch him at times like this. And it was not often I wanted to punch people who were not Cayde or Luca.

“Well, you could just not tell me or I could ask every Titan who comes in here if they are the one you are jumping into bed with” he commented and I groaned, damn this man.

“I have not slept with him… we just got carried away last night is all” I stated, thinking back to our wine fuelled make-out session on my sofa…

__

_I let out a satisfied groan as Zavala’s lips latched onto my neck, teeth grazing my soft flesh, his tongue tasting my skin before he kissed back up my neck and along my jaw-line, his hands running up my sides, sending sparks dancing across my skin._

_“Zavala!” I gasped as he kissed his way to the other side of my neck, sucking and biting feverishly at one particular spot, eliciting moans of pleasure from myself as I moved my hips against his._

_“Hmmmm, I don’t think I have ever liked the sound of my own name as much as when you say it like that” he whispered into my ear, I swore I was going to melt… He was driving me crazy, those beautiful eyes, that voice… Oh god that voice!_

_“Zavala… I, I don’t want to stop, but… I don’t want things to go further” I sighed as his hands started to slip under my top, making their way up my torso. And like the gentleman he is his hands immediately retreated and he looked up at me and smiled._

_“I could kiss you all night Sera… Or I could cuddle you all night, whatever you want” he whispered and I felt my own teeth sinking into my bottom lip… Surely no one could have a voice that sexy…_

____

“Sera… You still on this planet?” Devrim asked and I looked to him, shaking my head to rid myself of the thoughts of Zavala’s eyes and voice… of his lips on my skin and hands roaming my body…

Damn it Sera!

**Sera… are you feeling OK? You look a little flushed… are you coming down with a fever?**

Orion asked and I just pushed the little Ghost back a little, watching as he looked to me a little confused whilst Devrim just chuckled. “She is just thinking of her special Titan friend… He obviously does it for her” Devrim commented and I glared at him, though he just smiled back, damn him.   
  
**Well, Commander Zavala is a considered physically attractive by many female and male inhabitants of the Tower…**

Orion commented and I groaned as Devrim let out a hearty laugh. “The Commander and our revered Huntress… Well, I never would have guessed. Don’t worry, your secret is save with me” Devrim commented and I just smiled at him before downing the last of my tea and putting my gauntlets back on.

“Thanks for the tea Devrim, now if you will excuse me I think I may pay the Cabal a visit at their Firebase, at least if they figure out who I am dating I can kill them” I commented causing Devrim to smirk at me before waving me off as I grabbed my rifle and strapped it to my back before pulling my helmet on.

“You take care out there Sera” he stated and I nodded and headed out the church and towards the Firebase… Hopefully Zavala would not be too annoyed at the slip up… at least it was only one person.

__________________________________________________  
Zavala – In the city orphanage – Five in the evening  
__________________________________________________

"Commander! Good to see you as always!" A familiar voice called and I looked over to the entrance of the orphanages kitchen to see the individual who ran the orphanage stood smiling over at me.

"Miss Glass... How is everything?" I asked glancing round and surveying the hall I was stood in. Surprisingly the orphanage had not taken any major damage during the attack, though some areas of the building needed repairs the building was still structurally sound as well as water tight and warm. 

"Oh you know how it is after an event such as the Red Legion attack" she stated and I simply nodded. Executor Hideo had commented on the fact the number of orphans within the city walls had risen since the attack prompting all the factions to put some funds towards essential items for the children. 

"How are the children holding up?" I asked and she gave me a soft but sad smile.

"Exactly how one would expect them to. They are scared, many have nightmares whilst others feel useless, all they could do in the attack was run and hide whilst their parents fought off any attackers... more than a few children who came in after the attack having witnessed the deaths of their parents and older siblings... I cannot begin to imagine how they must be feeling, what must be going through their minds" she sighed. It was a sobering thought indeed. 

"Hopefully tonight can bring some joy into their lives, show them we are here for them and will always do our best to protect them" I commented, Miss Glass smiled at me and nodded.

"Hopefully..." Miss Glass replied, she continued to smile at me, letting out a small sigh. 

"Would you like to see the area your Titans have set up for the movie? They have done a marvellous job" Miss Glass then asked, I simply nodded and followed her through the hall, down a hallway and into another hall, this one larger and kitted out with various sofas and chairs, cushions on the floor as well as a table full of snacks and drinks set up against the left wall. 

"They have done a marvellous job haven't they... Hopefully the children will think so too" I stated and she nodded, smiling as a group of Titans walked in carrying various bowls and plates, setting them out on the table. 

"Commander Zavala! Good to see you here" one of the Titans exclaimed causing the trio to come over. 

"Just came to make sure everything was going alright with the set up" I stated and all three nodded. 

"It is going fine... you going to stay and watch the film like usual?" One them asked, I nodded smiling at the three. 

"Yes I am, however I have a meeting with the other Vanguard first so I shall leave you to finish setting everything up and come back to appreciate all your hard work" I commented. Miss Glass chuckling slightly. 

________________________________________________________________  
Ikora - Ramen shop near the orphanage – Half five in the evening  
________________________________________________________________

 

"Of all the places we could have a meeting and he picks somewhere I can't bring Colonel" Cayde sighed before taking another sip of his drink. The liquid bright green and rather sweet smelling.

 

"After today's incident I wonder why that is" I muttered though I don't think Cayde heard as he just sat staring into his glass. Probably still thinking about the chicken. 

 

I simply took a sip of my water before glancing round the shop. It was rather quiet, most the patrons were simply enjoying their meals before heading out to go about their evenings. Most likely going home to their families or friends to enjoy their company or tuck their children into bed…

 

"Sorry to have kept you both waiting" Zavala's voice stated and I looked to the Titan who was taking a seat at our table. Cayde smirking at him, something was telling me he knew something he shouldn't. 

 

"How was your chat with Shaxx?" The hunter seated next to me asked causing Zavala to sigh. 

 

"Cayde... not a topic I am willing to discuss right now" the Awoken man stated, Cayde simply nodded and downed the rest of his drink.

 

"What did you wish to discuss with us?" I enquired; Zavala took a deep breath before looking to myself and Cayde, a serious expression on his face. 

 

"Recently I have found myself under more stress than usual and it is taking its toll on me... And instead of just forging a path forward and dealing with it as I usually would Neptune has suggested I ask both of you to take command of the Vanguard for a day a week allowing me to take time to relax and to spend time with... with those I care about" Zavala stated, Cayde reached across the table and clamped a hand down on his shoulder. 

  
"Buddy... we are here for you. Anytime you need our help all you need do is ask. We can handle it... Can't we Ikora" Cayde asked and I smiled and nodded. My mind replying Zavala's last sentence. He has stopped himself and changed what he was going to say... who was it he wanted to spend time with.

 

**_Zavala... May I also point out you have slipped up and Ikora is now studying you with a suspicious expression… I think you’ve been rumbled as they say…_ **

 

Neptune whispered to his Guardian, I looked to Zavala; having heard his Ghost as well Cayde chuckled whilst I simply raised a brow.

 

"I have begun dating Serafina... however we did not want to tell anyway until we were both sure of where the relationship was going. Though thanks to Cayde and his paternal instincts towards that chicken Shaxx also knows" Zavala sighed and I smiled at him.

 

"I am happy for you old friend. You deserve to be happy in life, after all, ours is a long one... And you do not have to worry, I shall not speak a word about it to another" I stated causing Zavala to smile whilst Cayde chuckled.

 

"I won't tell anyone else I promise... Sera would be out to get me" Cayde muttered. I just sighed causing Cayde to glance to me and shrug. 

 

"She would. And she can be scary when she is out for revenge or mad... you see Hunters don't get violent, they get even. And that woman is cunning... she also has a short fuse. Don't annoy her, not unless you want to wake up with this horrible feeling that something is wrong... the feeling that you have when you are pretty sure one of your limbs is no longer in your control but are not certain..." Cayde muttered, I just looked to Zavala who shrugged. Cayde did have some odd stories to tell, then again most Hunters did, it was like they were drawn to trouble and had a disposition for pranks for the sake of laughs as well as revenge pranks.

 

__________________________________________________________

Sera – Returning to the City – Quarter to six in the evening  
__________________________________________________________

 

**Sera… Do you think you have time to shower and make it down to the orphanage?**

 

“I am sure we won’t miss much of the movie Orion… Not that we are going specifically to watch it mind you” I replied, Orion simply nodding, though he did look a little upset, I think he had wanted to ensure we were able to see the movie from the start.

 

**Sera… You are not flying too fast, just so you know…**

 

I chuckled and took his comment as an invite to floor it and I quickly flipped a few switches and we darted forward our speed increasing rapidly for a moment before steadying out.

 

**NO! I LIED! YOU ARE! SLOW DOWN! PLEASE!**

 

I chuckled, flipped a few more switches and we slowed down to a more appropriate pace, probably for the best as we were approaching the city and other ships would be coming and going as well. Bad weather conditions lately had led to more than a few close calls between ships coming and going, luckily none had crashed.

 

**City Hawk Seven Two Three requesting permission to enter hanger bay…**

 

I waited a moment and a green light came on in the cockpit and Amanda’s voice crackled to live over the comms. _“Hunter… Good to see you back, hanger bay slot three please. Hope you’ve not wrecked that beautiful ship of yours, or your sparrow again”_ Amanda laughed over the comms; I chuckled, flicking the switch to reply.

 

“All in one piece Amanda… Confirming entry to hanger bay, slot three” I replied, slowing down sufficiently and carefully steering us into the hanger and into slot three where I hit autopilot and both myself and Orion transmatted down to the hanger floor.

 

“THINK I SEE A SCRATCH SERA!” Amanda yelled over and I looked back at the ship… To be honest there probably were a few scratches on her but it didn’t bother me too much.

 

“GOT TO KEEP YOU BUSY!” I called back heading towards the courtyard and elevator down to my apartment. Amanda yelling after me, something about Cayde keeping her busy enough, I just laughed, he probably did cause enough chaos in that hanger to keep everyone busy.

 

“Ah, Serafina… Just the Guardian I was looking for” a very familiar voice suddenly stated and I turned to see Lakshmi stood talking with a member of the FWC who quickly departed with a nod from their leader.

 

“Lakshmi, I have somewhere to be and I am already late… Walk and talk” I replied earning a sly smile from the Exo who nodded and followed me through the hanger corridors towards the courtyard.

 

“As I am sure you are aware the Factions return to the tower in a couple of days, and I was hoping I can count on your continued support” Lakshmi stated, she was not a woman to beat around the bush that was for sure.

 

“Of course you can Lakshmi… Nothing has changed with regards to my views on the Factions, just keep up your end of our bargain and we are good” I smiled, Lakshmi smiling confidently.

 

“Good, because I have a small favour to ask you…” she stated and I looked to her and she handed me a piece of paper which I took but did not read right away as others were around and she did not always ask for the easiest or most legal things to be done.

 

“Just, think about it… We shall speak in a few days” she smiled before walking away and I just nodded as I reached the elevator, pressing the button and waiting. Why did she have to be so damned mysterious, then again, the other factions had their fair share of mystery surrounding them.

 

After a moment the elevator doors made their usually ding sound and opened, no one exited and only I got on giving me the privacy required to open the piece of paper and ready Lakshmi’s request.  
  
_Serafina -_  
I am not expecting an answer immediately as what I am going to ask of you is nothing like the favours I have asked of you in the past. I require you to gather information from all three of the Vanguard on their views on the factions and important topics regarding the city and relay the information back to me… In a nutshell, spy on them, gather information that I can use to gain favour amongst them.  
\- Lakshmi  
  
I screwed the piece of paper up in my hand and looked to Orion who had been reading over my shoulder. His expression one of concern.

 

**You aren’t going to spy on them for her are you? Especially not Zavala, that would be extremely immoral considering your personal relationship with him, it would make it easier to gather such information and more personal information as well…**

 

I shook my head, stepping out the elevator as the doors opened and heading towards my apartment. “I am not going too…” I muttered, though Orion looked at me, a sceptical look on his face, he didn’t believe me, and to be honest I didn’t believe myself… Gaining the FWC favour amongst the Vanguard could help us better prepare for the next war to come knocking at the walls… But, they trusted me and I them, could I really break that trust. And Zavala… could I betray his trust like that?

 

**Sera! You cannot! How could they or anyone trust you after doing something like that? If you are found out that is it, the trust the Vanguard has in you will be gone, and the trust other Guardians have in you will be gone as well… and your relationship with Zavala… As much as he seems to admire and adore you, it is early days; do you think it would survive a revelation such as that?**

 

“I know… I know…” I muttered, heading over to my oven and turning on one of the rings on the hob, placing the piece of paper on it and watching it burn, watching the paper fold in on itself, as if trying to protect itself from the flames, but to no avail. “I will just tell her I don’t feel comfortable doing that, she has never been one to pry into my reasons for either doing or not doing something for her” I sighed, turning off the ring and sweeping away the ashes.

 

**Just to let you know, your shower is running…**

 

“Thanks Orion… and don’t worry, I am not going to spy on them OK” I reassured him, he nodded, happy to have been reassured I was not going to go do something to screw everything up.

 

**Good… Now, shower then to the orphanage!**

__________________________________________________

Zavala – The orphanage – Seven in the evening  
__________________________________________________

 

The movie had not long started when I heard a few people start talking in the doorway to the hall; I glanced over to see Sera being greeted by Gray, one of the members of the Fireteam who had put the movie night on.

 

I smiled to myself before looking back to the screen, various children had settled on the sofa next to me, all greedily guzzling down their snacks, eyes fixated on the screen, entranced by the events playing out before them.

 

Eventually the talking died down and I glanced back to see Sera and Gray very quietly chatting away whilst Orion’s gaze was fixated on the screen, I smiled and glanced to Neptune who was also intently watching the movie play out. Though something caught my eyes, a young boy making his way over to Sera, tugging on her cloak to get her attention.

 

I watched as she knelt down to his level, smiling at him and nodding at him as he spoke… Once he seemed to have finished speaking she looked thoughtful for a moment before picking the child up and placing him on her shoulders, Gray helping ensure the little boy was safely on, a grin spread across his face.

 

**_She seems to be good with children… Probably because she comes across as a very stable and centred person, I think children are drawn to that…_ **

 

Neptune whispered, glancing down at the children sharing the sofa with me, two were already asleep whilst the others were intently watching the movie, enthralled, heads bobbing along to the songs, smiles on their faces.

 

________________________________________________________________  
Sera – The orphanage – Just over forty-five minutes into the film  
________________________________________________________________

 

I stood watching the film, the little boy, Ty, sat on my shoulders, leaning on my head watching the film. One of the bigger kids had kicked him out his spot and he could no longer see the screen from where he was sat.

 

**Sera… You seem to have a child sat on you… were you aware of this…**

 

Orion stated turning around and looking at me a little confused I just smiled at him and nodded, causing him to shrug and return to watching the movie. The sound of someone munching on popcorn coming from behind me, no doubt Gray was dipping into the tub one of the staff had given him.

 

“Sera… Why do all the Ghosts look different?” Ty asked his voice very quiet though very serious. I found myself chuckling a little whilst Orion who must have heard the question moved to float beside the child.

 

**Because our Guardians can put shells on us, they make us look nicer and enhance our abilities…**

 

Orion replied, his answer seemingly satisfactory as both went back to watching the film whilst I wished I had not agreed to let the child sit on my shoulders for the rest of the movie, it was not exactly comfortable after a while. Though, I could put up with it so the kid could watch the movie, I would just have to ask Zavala nicely for a shoulder and neck massage afterwards.

 

_________________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Orphanage – Credits of the movie are rolling   
_________________________________________________________

 

Once the movie had finished I glanced around at the children on the sofa, only one made it to the end, a small girl who reminded me of a certain blonde mechanic I knew in the tower. She looked up at me, a curious look on her face.

 

“Do you have someone you like just like Simba really likes Nala?” the child asked, she was as curious and open with her questions as a young Amanda was as well. I quickly glanced round, Sera was still stood talking to Gray, the child no longer on her shoulders but in her arms asleep.

 

“I do… She is a very special person” I replied, the young girl smiled at me, though I could tell she had another question ready and waiting, most children always had a few questions banked up I had found.   
  
“Do you love her?” she asked, I smiled and took a deep breath… Did I love Sera? Is it was something I could say and mean?

 

“I think so…” I replied and the child smiled and nodded before slipping on the sofa and skipping over to the other side of the room where the snack table was located and began shuffling popcorn into her mouth before a staff member stopped her and told her to go prepare for bed.

 

“Children ask the oddest things don’t they” a very familiar voice stated and I glanced over my shoulder to see Sera and Gray stood there, the boy asleep in Sera’s arm had a rather tight grasp on the strap of her top, Gray slowly trying to unclench the child’s fingers without waking him.

 

“I did not realise you were stood there…” I commented and Sera chuckled, smiling down at me.

 

**Hunters tend to do that… It is a thing they do… A very annoying thing… They like doing that thing…**


	11. Chapter 11 - The Incident**

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please Note this chapter contains a sex scene and another scene of implied sex. Most definitely NSFW.

________________________________________

Zavala – Sera’s apartment – Nine at night  
________________________________________

I sat on her sofa nervously waiting for her to make a comment about the conversation she had overheard me having with the child at the orphanage.

**_So… You enjoy the movie Sera?_ **

Neptune asked the female Awoken as she made herself a cup of coffee and me a cup of tea, Sera glanced over at Neptune, smiling at the Ghost. “I did Neptune… It was really interesting, and the songs are rather catchy… Overall it was an enlightening night” she replied, dropping a spoon into the sink and walking over with both the drinks, a coy smile gracing her lips.

“Thank you” I muttered as she placed both the drinks on the coffee table before taking a seat next to me, though unlike usual she did not cuddle into me, she shifted to sit cross legged facing me, a smirk on her face… She was enjoying this, watching me torment myself over what she would do or say about what had been said. Then again, she was a Hunter, they did like to drag things out unnecessarily and liked to play with their prey... An unnerving way to think about myself, as her prey.

“Sera…” I sighed, though before I could say anything more Sera lent forward and connected our lips. To say I was a little taken aback was an understatement, I was sure she was dragging out an awkward break-up, I was sure she would tell me she simply did not feel the same.

“What is it Zavala?” Sera asked pulling back from the kiss and reaching for her coffee, looking at me with a gaze I had become accustomed to. A gaze that let me know exactly what she was thinking, and it usual was not a question she would ask when others were around as it was usually personal or... sexual. I had come to learn she had quite the sexual appetite without us having even engaged in intercourse yet.

“You have not said anything about the incident at the orphanage… You have however actively hinted at it since we left, it is like you are dragging this out for your own amusement” I sighed and Sera placed her cup back down on the coffee table, looking to me and smiling her usual beautiful smile.

“Incident… You make it sound like this big horrible thing happened and that we need to discuss it in great detail” she chuckled, placing a hand on my leg, giving a reassuring squeeze.

“Sera… I want you to know I care deeply for you… And I am falling in love with you; I cannot and will not lie to you about that Sera, I just… I want you to know I am not expecting you to feel the same way I do, I just… Don’t feel you have to say anything back, I just wanted you to know.” I stated and Sera shifted forward, leaning into me and placing a soft kiss on my cheek before moving one of her hands to under my chin, tilting my head so she could capture my lips in hers.

“Zavala… I feel the same way…” Sera whispered between kisses, moving to sit in my lap, her hands reaching for mine and placing them on her hips. I kissed her back for a moment before pulling back and looking up at her, the look on her face told me everything I needed to know.

“Sera… Are you sure?” I asked, my voice a breathy whisper, Sera just looked at me, grinding her hips into mine, her hands coming to rest on my chest, biting her own lip as she looked down at me… She was stunning…

“I’m sure… I want you” Sera whispered, and as soon as those words left her mouth I moved my hands to her thighs, grabbing them and moving to the edge of the sofa, Sera seeming to understand what I wanted to do as she wrapped her legs around me.

My lips found hers as I stood up, holding her close to me, her hands running up my chest, over my shoulders and snaking their way around my neck.

As we broke the kiss to breath Sera glanced up, shaking her head and I heard Neptune let out a disappointed sigh as we vanished from their sight and into Sera’s bedroom where I placed her down on the bed, she just looked up to me, her eyes glazed over with lust and her cheeks flushed, and that smile… It had gone from the most beautiful smile to the sexiest smile I had ever seen.

As Sera moved back up the bed, beckoning me to join her I started to feel nervous, I had not been with another individual intimately since my rebirth…

“Zavala… Is everything alright? You know I don’t bite… well, not much” Sera chuckled and I looked to her and smiled, she just smiled back, gesturing for me to join her on the bed, however before joining her on the bed I rid myself of my top and jeans.

As I moved onto the bed and up to Sera she wiggled her shorts off and peeled her top off over her head… She was wearing an extremely sexy black lace bra and matching pants and I just wanted to rip them off of her at the same time as just wanting to admire her in them…

“Sera, I haven’t been with anyone since my rebirth… I, I guess I am a little nervous” I sighed as Sera pulled me closer, her legs once again wrapping around me, pulling me down so I was laid over her, propping myself up with my elbows whilst she trailed light butterfly kisses up my neck, occasionally nipping at my skin.

“Don’t worry…” Sera whispered as she reached my ear, gently sucking at my earlobe, eliciting a soft moan from me, a sound she seemed to enjoy as she arched her back, pushing her body into mine, doing the same thing again, being rewarded with the same sound.

“Just do what feels natural… Do what feels good” Sera moaned as I ground my hips into her, causing Sera to gasp and moan, her arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me down to kiss her. Though this time our kiss was sloppier, filled with want and need.

__________________________________________________

Sera – Her bedroom – Quarter to ten at night  
__________________________________________________

Zavala pulled back from the kiss first and he moved to kneel between my legs, his hands running down my sides, stopping at my hips before running back up my stomach and over my breasts. Something he repeated several times and something I enjoyed him doing.

After a moment his hands snaked round my sides and to the clasp of my bra and for someone who had not been with another individual intimately he managed to undo my bra with ease, pulling it from my body and discarding it over the edge of the bed. I just brought my hands up to the waist band of his underwear, tugging impatiently at it, wanting it to join my bra on the floor.

“Someone is eager” he chuckled, leaning forward and capturing my left nipple in his mouth whilst his free hand paid attention to the right breast. I couldn’t stop myself from moaning and arching my back in pleasure, it felt amazing.

“Zavala” I moaned as moved his mouth over to my right nipple and his other hand began to tease the left. As I moaned and arched my back again I could feel his erect member through our pants… Damn it, why did there have to be underwear in the way!

“Take your pants off” I gasped, moving my hands to my own underwear and started to wriggle out it though Zavala quickly moved my hands away and pinned them easily above my head with a single hand. A hold I could easily get out of, but it felt so good to be pinned beneath him, to be at his mercy, to have him tease me with his oh so talented mouth.

“You need to learn to be more patient Sera… enjoy things in life” Zavala chuckled, his lips training their way up my neck and to my lips.

“I am trying to enjoy you… But you keep stopping me from doing so” I groaned as he bit down on my neck causing me to arch my back and let out a very satisfied moan. “You are driving me crazy Zavala… I want you and I want you now!” I gasped; he bit down again, though this time it was slightly harder and over my pulse point, a rather sensitive area.

He just chuckled and trailed a hand down my body, slipping it into my pants; I gasped and arched into his touch, two fingers slowly, so agonisingly slowly, slipping inside of me, making me squirm beneath him. He then started to move his fingers slowly at first before speeding up, fingering me and trailing kisses all over my neck.

“Zavala… Oh god! Yes! YES! I… I am going to… Oh god! AH! YES!” I cried out as I climaxed, Zavala not even bothering to muffle my moans with kisses.

“I love how my name sounds as you moan it when I pleasure you” Zavala whispered, and I just let out a moan, that voice… those eyes… those hands…

He slowly removed his fingers from inside of me before removing my pants and then his own. I glanced down… He was impressive to say the least.

“Sera, look at me…” he suddenly stated and I looked up at him, and he looked at me, his smile was so sweet and his eyes were so caring.

“At any point, if you want to stop…” he started but I reached up and placed a finger over his lips and he just looked at me and smiled, he knew I was aware that if I wanted to stop all I had to do was say but I wanted this, I wanted him.

“Just remember you can say stop at any point as well… I want us both to be comfortable with this” I stated and he smiled down at me before moving to lay over me, placing a soft, sweet and short kiss on my lips.

“Sera… Your beautiful” he whispered before beginning to slowly slip inside of me, I closed my eyes and moaned, he was larger than others I had been with but that just made it feel all the more pleasurable.

As he buried his full length inside of me he paused for a moment, he was panting slightly, I opened my eyes, his were shut. “Zavala…” I moaned as I wiggled my hips slightly, letting him know he could move, letting him know I wanted more… A message he understood. His eyes opened and he started to move, slipping in and out of me at a pleasurable pace, letting a moan escape from behind his lips every now and then… I just couldn’t keep them contained. He felt amazing, the feeling of him slipping in and out of me, I had never felt so much pleasure during sex before in my life, and I doubt I had before my rebirth.

I moved my arms to wrap them around his neck and changed the angle of my hips slightly and as I met his thrusts I cried out in pleasure as he hit the perfect spot inside of me, the climax that had been slowly building, the knot that was becoming tighter and tighter in the pit of my stomach, was getting closer and closer to snapping and sending me over the edge once more.

“God Sera! You feel amazing” he gasped, I couldn’t respond, I couldn’t form a coherent sentence, I just moaned as he thrust into me again and again, bring me closer and closer to my climax.

“I’m going to… Ah! Zavala… Ah! OH GOD! YES! ZAVALA!” I cried out as I climaxed once again, I could feel my muscles clamping down on his member, feel my muscles twitching and tensing as a wave of pleasure washed over me, my back arching, my heart racing, panting to take in enough oxygen.

“Sera… Yes… Oh! SERA!” Zavala groaned moments after my climax hit me, finding his release deep within me before collapsing on top of me, though being the considerate man he was he shifted his weight to the side and removed himself from me, pulling me in close and peppering kisses over my cheek and jaw.

“Well that was fun…” I muttered, shifting so I could turn into him, resting my head on one of his arms whilst his other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me in close.

“Indeed…” he replied and I just smiled lazily as I closed my eyes and snuggled into his chest, draping one arm over his hip whilst the other rested just in front of my chest.

After a minute of just cuddling in silence I heard the shower start to run and found myself chuckling, Zavala just looking down at me, a slightly confused expression on his face. “Orion is a very… attentive Ghost, he probably listened in… Not that we were exactly quiet… and realised we had finished and that showers were most likely needed” I stated and Zavala just nodded, glancing over to the closed door before resting his head on the pillow and just looking at me.

“You are an amazingly beautiful woman” he stated as if it was a matter of fact, though there was a softness to his voice… Not only did he have the most amazing eyes I had ever seen but he also had one of the sexiest voices I had ever heard.

“I would say flattery will get you nowhere but I think we both know that is a lie” I chuckled and he just smiled, pulling me into him and holding me as close as he could. It was nice… I felt safe, I felt like nothing bad was going to happen whilst he was here.

“Stay…” I whispered and I felt him place a kiss on the top of my head though he didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to, I knew he would stay if it was what I wanted, and if I had wanted him to leave he would have without even asking me why.

“Are you going to have that shower?” Zavala suddenly asked and I shifted… I didn’t want to move but the sticky feeling between my legs told me I really should get up and have a shower… I sighed and started to move off of the bed, aware of his eyes following me, watching my every move. If it had been anyone else in my bed I would have felt like a prey animal…

__________________________________________________

Zavala – Sera’s apartment – One in the morning  
__________________________________________________

I rolled over in bed to cuddle up to Sera, reaching out for her and patting around the bed, it took my tired brain a moment to realise she was not there.

I sat up and looked around the room; Neptune was sat on the windowsill looking out into the night whilst Orion was no longer on his little perch. I glanced over to the bathroom, the door was open and although the light was off I could tell it was empty.

“Neptune… Where did Sera and Orion go?” I enquired and Neptune turned and looked to me, smiling at me as he bobbed over to me, coming to float in front of me.

**_She was having trouble sleeping so she went into the living room to read, Orion went with her…_ **

I simply nodded and threw the covers back, slipping out of the bed and heading towards the door that led into the rest of the apartment, as I entered the living room Sera glanced up from her spot on the sofa, Orion acting as her reading light.

“You alright?” I asked walking over to her and sitting down next to her on the sofa and she just nodded before giving me what I am assuming was supposed to be a reassuring smile but was just a bit of a tired smile… I sighed and wrapped an arm around her pulling her close, Shaxx’s advice running through my mind… though was this the right time?

“Sera… Can I ask you something personal? Something about your previous relationship?” I asked and Sera looked up at me and just nodded, not say anything, her expression not giving anything away.

“What happened to cause it to end? Various people have made comments about it and I just want to put any worries or fears you have to rest, I want you to know I am not going to hurt you in any way shape or form” I stated and Sera just smiled, placed her book to one side and shifted so she was lent against me.

“Alexis and I were good friends for a long time… one night we had a little too much to drink and ended up sleeping together, and whilst we agreed it was fun he didn’t want to talk about it, said it would complicate things too much so we carried on like it had never happened and everything was fine… until it happened again, and again, and again and again… Eventually it turned into a friends with benefits scenario and then one night he told me he loved me… I was ecstatic; I had felt the same way about him for such a long time…” Sera stated, I just closed my eyes and took a deep breath… why was it so hard to hear her admit she had loved him? I knew I was not the first man she had been with so why had I thought she would have never loved another before me? Not that she had even said she loved me yet, neither of us had said it.

“I thought that would be the start of a relationship… and when I asked him if the agreement of sex after a big win or when one of us needed it was going to change he simply shrugged, told me we should take it slow and see what happens… For the next year we ‘took it slow’ but that basically meant nothing changed… we would accomplish something we had sex, he needed a release after a stressful day we had sex… I got annoyed and fed up one night and I decided I wasn’t going to give him what he wanted until he told me where we stood… He got angry, yelled at me, told me if I really loved him I wouldn’t push him for answers or a relationship he didn’t want… he stormed out of the apartment we shared with Phobos… Phobos and I sat talking the rest of the evening and then we retired to our bedrooms, me to sleep and Phobos to read as he usually did” Sera let out a rather large sigh, shifting a little where she sat and I loosened my hold on her and she seemed to relax a little, though before she carried on she stood and made her way to her kitchen.

“Anyway, about half one, maybe two that morning I could hear a woman laughing and giggling… I brushed it off as Phobos watching some crappy show on his television a little too loudly but then the moaning started… Phobos was not one to watch anything sexual; he mostly watched documentaries and crime dramas…” Sera stated as she pulled a shot glass from one of the kitchen cupboards and a bottle of clear liquid from the other, pouring herself a rather generous shot.

“So about five minutes after the moaning had started it hadn’t stopped and was just getting louder, I left my room and went to Phobos’ and he was just lying on his bed with his pillow over his face humming a random tune… I suddenly felt really angry and I burst into Alexis’ room… He was in bed with some poor woman that then had to contend with me screaming and yelling at Alexis for stringing me along, telling me he loved me and then using the fact I loved him as well as a way to get sex, as a way to make sure his needs were taken care of and that if he ever made a sexual advancement aimed at me ever again that not even you or the other Vanguard could save his pathetic ass… Two days later, two very tense days later that is, Phobos sat us down and told us that if things were going to be tense out in the field one of us would have to leave and as me and Phobos has worked together before Alexis was on the scene it would be him… He then admitted he was already looking to join another Fireteam and our next mission together would likely be our last…” Sera stated, downing her drink before pouring herself another one and immediately downing that one.

“So… That is how that ended. A week later the Red Legion attacked and Alexis and Phobos both died. Despite everything that had happened, despite everything he put me through I still… I loved him for so long, I couldn’t stay angry with him and when he died… When he went and charged that bastard Cabal!” she snapped, the glass suddenly shattering in her hands causing a torrent of curse words to leave her lips.

“Sera… I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked” I sighed, standing up and moving over to her, Orion already scanning her hand and healing it, though one shard of glass remained sticking out of her hand, she just stared down at it, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. “I am so sorry” I whispered as I reached over to her hand and pulled the glass out, she barely winced as I did so, dropping it on the counter I waited until Orion had dealt with her wounded hand.

**Sera… Does your hand feel alright now?**

She simply nodded at Orion’s question and I pulled her round to face me, moving my hands to her cheeks and wiping away her tears before pulling her into a hug and holding her close, holding her tight… I wanted to make all her pain go away but there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it… I couldn’t help her; I couldn’t fix this for her… I was once again useless to those I cared about. All I could offer were soothing words, no actions that would help, no actions that would cause her pain to cease.

“Serafina… I promise you I will not use you like that, you are more to me than just a release, you are more important to me than anyone else has ever been, than anything else has ever been” I whispered and I felt her wrap her arms around me, her hands staying clear of my skin as both had blood on though right now I didn’t care about that.

“And I promise you I will not go charging at any bastard Cabal” I added earning myself a small chuckle from her.

“I will hold you to that…” she muttered and I placed a kiss on top of her head before moving back and looking down at her, she just smiled up at me, it was a tired smile, a slightly sad smile but it was a smile none the less.

“Also… I won’t tell you I love you unless I mean it, unless I know without a shadow of a doubt I do. I won’t lead you on Sera, I won’t lie to you and I most certainly won’t be taking another woman to bed” I stated and she just nodded before turning to the sink and started to run the tap, washing her hands.

“By the way… Who made comments about my relationship with Alexis?” Sera suddenly asked and I looked to her and sighed, probably should have left that part out…

“During the strike on the hospital Jackal told Luca to stop flirting with you as Alexis was not long dead and Cayde made a comment that the two of you had not been together at the time of the attack… Later that day Banshee stated you did not have the best history with Titans and that if I gave you a reason to you would never trust me again… This prompted me to ask Cayde about it… Which I should not have done in the first place as it was none of my business, not that he actually told me anything, just said it was not his story to tell. Shaxx then stated if you had been stung before you may not trust as easily and I should ask you about it, put any fears you had to rest… Probably the only good advice that does not revolve around weapons that he has given me” I stated and Sera let out a small laugh as she dried her hands before moving behind me, checking my back, making sure she had not gotten any blood on me.

“Oh… And talking about Shaxx, he knows about us, as do Ikora and Cayde, though I imagine Cayde suspected something from the moment I told him I would be cooking a meal for you” I stated and Sera chuckled and moved to the kitchen worktop, collecting the shards of glass up in a piece of kitchen paper and disposing of them in the bin before wiping the work surface down.

“Devrim knows… He saw the marks you left on my neck when I was having a cup of tea with him” Sera stated and I chuckled and moved so I was stood behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and starting to kiss her neck, licking and sucking at one spot causing her to gasp and moan in pleasure.

“Zavala… Don’t start what you can’t finish” she muttered as I continued to work on that one spot on her neck. I just smirked against her skin, moving my hands to her hips and pulling her back into me.

“Is that a challenge” I chuckled as she let out a long breathy moan, pushing herself back into me further, seeking out the contact and friction.

**Oh boy… I am going… Neptune! Come on!**


	12. Chapter 12 - Rabbits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With new information on the Fallen conducting the experiments Jackal and Sera make a plan whilst she has an odd encounter with Lakshmi-2 of the FWC. Zavala finds himself unsure of his ability to be there for Sera after witnessing her death in a crucible match and she isn't exactly the best at providing comforting words without a nudge from Orion.

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Sera – The Tower Bazaar – Eight in the morning  
__________________________________________________

I sat in the Bazaar enjoying a cup of coffee and a cooked breakfast with Jackal and Luca, Luca having sent me and Jackal urgent messages asking us to meet him for breakfast at ten to eight or he would come knocking on our apartment doors.

“So… Why the urgent message? Or did you really miss Sera’s eyes that much” Jackal commented whilst I took a bite out of a piece of toast, only able to glare at Jackal who just chuckled whilst Luca sighed and placed his cup of coffee down.

“OK… Sera, I owe you an apology. I should not have flirted with you whilst on the mission nor afterwards before the debrief, it was unprofessional of me and all you have to do is say stop and I will never flirt with you again” Luca suddenly commented and I looked at him a little shocked before swallowing the food in my mouth and chasing it down with a mouthful of coffee.

“Stop… I really am not looking for a relationship right now OK… Now, why the urgent message?” I asked and Luca just nodded at me before looking to Dom played a message, though it was in Fallen, it was all gibberish to me, I looked to Jackal who looked as confused as I felt thankfully.

 **What exactly did it say? I could not translate it fully  
** _Neither could I…_

Our Ghosts stated and Luca gestured to Dom who made a coughing sound as if clearing his throat before floating over the middle of the table whilst we continued to eat our breakfast.

** Basically they are talking about how after our raid on the hospital they have been forced to take their experiments off world and to Nessus, they are setting up a base in an undisclosed location, most likely out of the reach of Failsafe’s sensors.  **

“Not good, they could have access to even more Golden Age technology allowing them to cause all sorts of damage” Jackal stated and I nodded in agreement as I finished off my breakfast before downing the rest of my coffee, starting to feel slightly more awake. It had been one hell of a night.

“We need to find out where that base is and strike before they can start conducting more twisted experiments… we should also have Failsafe scan where she can for any signs of SIVA as well as check in on the Plaguelands, ensure the Fallen are not trying to restart that nightmare again” I commented and Luca nodded in agreement as he finished his own breakfast off.

“I am heading out to Nessus tomorrow, I will have a scout around, try and find out what I can, see if Failsafe knows anything, also see if I can find any Fallen consoles to hack, see how well they are guarding their new bases location” Jackal stated and I looked to him and smiled.

“Want company?” I asked and he smiled and nodded.

“That would be nice… Give us a chance to properly catch up” he stated and I nodded whilst Luca let out a disappointed sigh, glancing at the two of us.

“I promised some old friends I would be their fourth man for a day of crucible matches tomorrow otherwise I could have joined you guys, made a kind of team building exercise out of it” Luca sighed and I just chuckled as I stood, brushing any crumbs from my top and moving to leaning on the railings of the cafes rooftop seating area, looking out at the traveller and everyone going about their business, both men joining me after a moment.

“There will be other scouting missions Luca” Jackal stated as he took up a position on my right, Luca on my left smiling and nodding at the Exo.

“How about after we get back from Nessus we go out for drinks, you can tell us all about your day in the crucible and we can tell you what, if anything, we found out” Jackal suggested and Luca gave him a bright smile, nodding enthusiastically, both men then looking to me.

I just sighed and nodded causing my two fellow Guardians high five each other behind my back; they could be like children at times, annoying little children… But, they had my back no matter what; they had proven that in Trostland Hospital. I doubted that there was anyone else out there I would trust to have my back on a mission.

“As fun as this has been guys I should get going, I have business to attend to” I stated standing up straight and moving to leave when Jackal caught my hand and I turned to look at him and he smiled at me.

“See you in the hanger at seven tomorrow morning, don’t be late” he stated and I nodded at him and he let go off my hand and I made my way down the steps, waving at Hawthorn as I passed though before I exited the Bazaar Ikora waved me over and I suddenly felt a little nervous… she knew about my relationship with Zavala, one of her closest friends, how would she act around me now?

“Morning Ikora… How are you?” I asked as I walked over and she smiled at me, her usual smile and glanced over my shoulder, checking who was close by before speaking.

“I am good thank you Serafina. I just wanted to say I am happy for you and Zavala, he deserves someone special in his life” she quietly commented and I simply smiled at her and nodded, Orion and Aristotle circling one another, beeping at each other.

“Thank you Ikora… He is a genuinely caring man, I hope I can make him as happy as makes me” I replied and the Warlock Vanguard simply smiled and nodded though before either of us could say another word the sound of approaching footsteps caused her to look up and me to glance over my shoulder… I sighed in relief… Zavala.

“Ikora… Serafina, Lakshmi is looking for you” he commented and I sighed and looked to Orion who gave me a very stern look and I just smiled at Ikora and then to Zavala, giving him a cheeky wink before heading off towards the Courtyard and then towards the Hanger. Managing to locate Lakshmi in the Future War Cult offices, I was thankful she was the only one there; it would make this conversation a lot easier.

“Have you had a chance to think about what I have asked of you?” she asked and I nodded, glancing round, out of all the factions it seemed she had managed to get the best spot in the Tower and the best set-up, though I had no idea how.

“I can’t do it… I’m sorry but I am not prepared to do that” I stated and she cast a curious glance at me before looking back to the screens rotating around her.

“Very well… Then tell me this, is it true the Fallen were conducting experiments with Dregs and Ghosts?” she asked and I simply nodded, it was a reasonable question, and she wasn’t asking me to spy on anyone.

“Hmmm… It is happening sooner than I thought it would. Be careful on Nessus tomorrow, a desperate enemy is not one to be underestimated” she stated and I just nodded, what could I say to that? The woman always seemed to have a comment you couldn’t really reply to ready to end any conversation. She was slightly terrifying in all honesty, and I had no idea why… I just felt like she always knew what was going on behind closed doors and that she would willingly use that against you if she needed to.

I made my way out the FWC offices and headed back towards the courtyard, managing to avoid stepping on a sleeping chicken on the way… Cayde really needed to pay closer attention to where he let that thing wander.

Once I entered the courtyard I made my way over to Banshee, I needed a new weapon modification for my sub-machine gun, if we were going to end up on Nessus and trying to hack Fallen consoles I’d need it modifying. The Fallen loved their arc shields and it currently put out void damage and that needed to change if we were to have an easy time of things tomorrow.

“OK you gossip, I need an arc modification for my sub-machine gun for tomorrow… Can you do it or do I need to go find another gunsmith?” I asked Banshee, leaning on the counter of his little store causing him to chuckle and look at me with an amused gaze.

“Two things… No. Three things, firstly I am not one to gossip, secondly of course I can, in fact I can do it right now Hunter and thirdly… What other gunsmith?” Banshee replied and I chuckled and placed my Mini-Mida on his counter along with some glimmer and he eagerly took them, immediately starting to tinker with the gun.

“I believe you made a comment about my dating history to a certain Titan Vanguard… I think that counts as gossiping Banshee… And I have no idea what other gunsmith, probably one in the city who would do a crap job and leave me with a useless gun” I commented and Banshee just glanced at me and then back to the job at hand.

“So… Curiosity got the better of him” Banshee remarked and I shrugged, I shouldn’t have said that… I really shouldn’t have said that.

**He wanted to ensure Sera would not let her views of Titans effect her work with Jackal or any other Titan for that matter…**

Orion stated, as usual he was coming to my rescue, Banshee just nodding, not buying it for one minute but not pushing it any further either. “You mind if I dismantle the old mod you have in here? Can recycle the parts” Banshee asked and I just nodded at him and he began to take apart the old modification and use parts of it to fit the new one into place.

“Done… Let me know if you have any issues with it… Not that you will” he stated and I chuckled, taking my gun back and Orion transmatted it to wherever it was he stored my weapons.

“I will make sure to come let you know all about its performance when I get back tomorrow evening if you are still around” I commented and Banshee just nodded and I turned to go find something to do but bumped straight into Arach Jalaal who had his usual smirk on his face. He reminded me of a villain from a child’s cartoon for some reason.

“Serafina. I am under the impression you will be embarking on a scouting mission to Nessus tomorrow. I would greatly appreciate it if you could secure a few objects for me” Jalaal stated holding out a piece of paper which I didn’t take.

“Nope… Lakshmi terrifies me enough as it is and I have already made it very clear to you I support her and the Future War Cult. I am sure there will be other Guardians heading out to Nessus over the next few days” I stated, stepping around the Dead Orbit representative and just walking in a random direction before he could say anything.

“Ah, Serafina… Here to strike fear into the heart of your fellow Guardians?” Lord Shaxx’s voice suddenly asked as I rounded a corner and found myself face to face with the Crucible Handler.

**That sounds fun… We haven’t had much chance to participate in the crucible recently… Please Sera! Please!**

Orion begged and I looked to the little Ghost and just nodded and suddenly found myself kitted out in my armour.

“GREAT! Destroy them!” Lord Shaxx exclaimed and I found myself smiling… It had been a while since I had participated in a match, and it was something I had found myself missing slightly, and I guess one match would not hurt.

__________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower – Midday  
__________________________________________________

“FIVE MINUTES REMAINING! CRUSH THEM!” Shaxx called out, everyone glancing over at him once more, today seemed to be a rather good day in the Crucible it would seem, one team was proving to be particularly dominate to the point Shaxx had decided to begin airing their matches. It was the first time the Crucible had been on Television since we had reclaimed the city and it had everyone in the Tower finding their nearest screen.

**_Commander… Do you not wish to watch the match? I would highly suggest it._ **

I looked to Neptune who was looking at me eagerly, why was he so eager that I see this match? If he wished to watch the match he was well aware I was more than happy for him to join Shaxx for a few minutes. It was something I had allowed him to do before when it was quiet.

“YOU ARE DECIMATING THEM! I LOVE IT!” Shaxx exclaimed extremely loudly and Neptune looked over to him and then back to me, he was obviously extremely eager to watch the match so I sighed and made my way over to Shaxx’s station.

“LUCKY KILL! BUT YOU ARE STILL BEHIND! AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO PULL THIS BACK!” He yelled down the communication system he had linked up to the arenas, I just glanced at the screen, a Titan had managed to get a lucky hit on a Hunter with her back turned to him, though he had quickly been taken down by a sniper.

“TWENTY KILL STREAK! GOOD JOB HUNTER! SHOW THEM THE MEANING OF PAIN!” Shaxx yelled and I glanced at the list of Guardians participating…

“You wanted me to watch it because Sera is playing” I muttered, looking to Neptune who was too busy watching the match unfold to acknowledge me. I just sighed and looked to the screen, Sera had found herself a rather good spot to make her nest, a Warlock had her back, taking care of any foolish enough to try and scale the tower to dislodge her.

“TWO MINUTES REMAINING GUARDIANS!” Shaxx exclaimed, the Warlock behind Sera suddenly going down causing her to turn and dodge a throwing knife, her own shot back missing as another Guardian entered the room.

**_Oh! I can’t look… But I have too…_ **

Neptune commented and I watched as she unleashed her Golden Gun, shooting down both her attackers and a third making their way up to her before getting shot in the back, another sniper across the map.

“YOU ENDED HER STREAK! WELL DONE!” Shaxx called out, congratulating the Guardian who had managed to take her down. I just found myself wincing; having been on the receiving end of Cayde’s shots in our crucible days I knew how painful it could be… It was also hard watching her go down… How would I cope when overseeing strikes if this was just in the Crucible?

“THIRTY SECONDS! END THEM!” Shaxx exclaimed and we both stood in silence, watching the clock tick down as Sera moved round the map with her team, each of them taking out their opponents as they came across them, in the last ten seconds the warlock on her team unleashed their super ability, racing across the map. The arc energy they wielded making short work of anyone unlucky enough to be caught up in their path.

“GAME OVER! ALPHA TEAM ARE VICTORIOUS!” Shaxx called out, letting out a hearty laugh before turning to me.

“You should have seen her third match, some pretty gruesome deaths on both teams, close game, they narrowly lost” Shaxx stated, not helping to settle the uneasy feeling I had in the pit of my stomach.

“I am sure it was an interesting match to watch” I replied, Shaxx tilting his head to the side, carefully studying me from underneath his helmet.

“What is bothering you? You look like you have something troubling you” he commented and I smiled at him and shook my head but he was not going to let me just leave it be, he had never been one to roll over and take no for an answer, at least not in a long time… How long had it been since then?

“It is nothing… I am just tired is all, I did not get much sleep last night” I stated, his gaze seemingly unmoving. He was silent for a moment before letting out a rather low laugh before giving me a hardy pat on the back.

“So, she came back for more did she… Can’t say I blame her, you are quiet the specimen Zavala” Shaxx laughed and I found myself glancing round, luckily we were pretty much alone and no one had heard his comment, though… Banshee may have, though I highly doubted he would say anything to anyone other than Cayde, and Cayde was aware he had to keep his mouth shut on the subject.

“Shaxx, I am not discussing that with you, especially not here” I replied and my fellow Titan simply nodded before looking back to the screens and then to me.

“She is on her way back to the Tower… She may want to celebrate” he chuckled; I just smiled at my old friend and started to head back to my usual spot overlooking the city and the Traveller.

**_You know he has no filter Zavala, I don’t know what you expected_ **

Neptune commented and I just smiled at him. “He may have no filter but I know he means well, I just forgot how loud he can be when he is not commentating on a Crucible match” I replied, Neptune simply giving me an understanding nod before taking up his usual position next to me and staring out at the city.

My mind starting to wander, thinking about watching Sera get shot, about how the strike on the hospital could have ended so differently and how I would have been powerless to do anything to help them from the Tower… She wanted a partner who would be there for her when she needed them, how could I do that from here when she was in the field?

__________________________________________________  
Sera – Her apartment – Seven in the evening  
__________________________________________________

I lay in the bath enjoying the feeling of the hot water on my skin, the bubbles tickling my flesh, the scent of lavender filing my nostrils and relaxing me further. It has been a fun day in the Crucible and we had all gone out for a meal afterwards to celebrate such a good set of matches.

I suddenly heard the sound of someone knocking on my apartment door, I sighed and glanced to Orion who floated out the bathroom and to see who was at the door… I just lay back further in the bath, closing my eyes and just enjoying the silence.

**Sera… Zavala is at the door. Should I let him in?**

Orion suddenly asked and I opened an eye and glanced over to the bathroom door where Orion was bobbing up and down.

“Yeah… let him know he can help himself to a drink and if he fancies bringing me a glass of wine I wouldn’t be too upset” I stated, Orion just gave me a confused nod before heading back towards the apartment door.

After a moment I heard Zavala’s chuckle and the sound of the door closing, a moment later Orion returned to the bathroom, settling a folded towel that sat in the sink, relaxing into it as if it was his own relaxing bath of sorts.

“One glass of wine” Zavala commented walking into the bathroom and I smiled at him, reaching out to take the class of wine from him, taking a few sips before placing it on the side of the bath and relaxing into the water a little more.

“Thank you... How was your day?” I asked sinking my arm back into the water, enjoying the feeling of almost weightlessness and the warmth of the water.

“It was fine… Neptune and myself watched the latter part of your last Crucible match, you were rather impressive, your team work admirable” he stated leaning against the door-frame and smiling at me. Though something was off, something did not feel right, he seemed tense.

“Yeah, hadn’t died up till that sniper shot, then again I had that coming, was stupid enough not to keep moving, he had already shot Tess so I was aware he could see into our nest and us if we were stood up” I stated, reaching my arm back out of the water and taking a few more sips of my wine before deciding to just down it.

**Sera… It is wine, not vodka**

Orion commented and I just shrugged at the Ghost before closing my eyes and letting out a content sigh. “It is a shame this tub isn’t big enough for the both of us, that would be fun” I muttered and I heard Zavala chuckle and move, when I glanced up he had retreated into my bedroom and was sat on the edge of the bed looking out the window.

“So, what is on your mind? You’ve been a bit formal with me despite the fact we are alone” I commented, closing my eyes once more and listening carefully as he let out a gentle yet audible sigh.

“I guess it is the realisation that I am your commander, I will no doubt be running a strike you take part in and will have to watch you die as I did today when your opponent’s sniper ended your rather impressive twenty-three kill streak… I am not always going to be able to be there for you when you need me” Zavala stated, his voice sounded slightly defeated.

“OK… So, now probably isn’t the best time to tell you me and Jackal are heading to Nessus tomorrow morning to try and get some information on where the Fallen are setting up their new base since we raided the hospital…” I replied opening my eyes and just looking at Orion who was rolling his eye at me.

“Probably not…” Zavala replied and I just sighed, regretting downing all my wine a minute ago.

**Fancy being a little more reassuring Sera…**

Orion hissed at me, trying to be quiet but failing especially as I was pretty sure Zavala heard him.

“Anyway, did you get a chance to talk with Lakshmi?” Zavala suddenly asked, changing the topic, Orion just glaring at me.

“Yes… She just wanted to ask some questions about what happened at the hospital. I then had Jalaal ask me if I could pick a few bits up for him on Nessus, shut that door before Lakshmi’s creepy ‘I know everything’ senses could pick it up… That woman is one of the few people I am actually scared of” I commented causing Zavala to chuckle a little.

“She can be very intimidating I must admit, but I try to deal with the factions as little as possible” he stated and I just nodded, looking over to him, he was staring out my bedroom window still sat on the edge of my bed.

“You know… I don’t go out my way to put myself in dangerous situations and I like to think I am tactical, I don’t rush into anything without a plan, at least not when out in the field so you don’t have to worry about me too much. Anyway, I have Jackal watching my back tomorrow so I highly doubt we will find ourselves in any trouble… And… I know you can’t always be there for me, just like I won’t always be able to be there for you so don’t get yourself down over something you can’t help” I sighed, placing my hands either side of the bath and pushing myself up so I could stand.

**That was better… Also your towel is comfy, do I have to move?**

Orion commented as I stepped out the bath, being careful not to knock the wine glass over, and stood waiting for Orion to move.

“You can stay there… She won’t need the towel” Zavala suddenly commented standing up and walking over to me, a playful grin on his face and a look I had become very familiar with last night and in the early hours of this morning.

**Rabbits… You’re like rabbits…**


	13. Chapter 13 - Sparking*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a simple trip to Nessus what could possibly go wrong?

____________________________________________________________________________  
Jackal – Nessus (Outside of Failsafe’s Sensors Range) – Eleven in the morning  
____________________________________________________________________________

I looked over at Sera; she was slumped against the wall, Orion close by her side… I had no idea where she was looking, if she even had her eyes open but she had not moved in over ten minutes, if it wasn’t for the rise and fall of her chest I would have assumed she was dead.

_Jackal… I am unable to create a stable communication link with Failsafe or the Vanguard. We are alone out here_

Hyena commented and I looked around the cavern we had found ourselves trapped in, this was supposed to be an easy mission, just have a look round Nessus, hack a few terminals and make some progress in finding the location of the Fallen’s new secret base… Not find it and end up trapped in an underground cavern with no discernible means of escape.

_Also… judging from the marks on the walls of this cavern I believe it is prone to flooding. I cannot tell how regularly or if it is due to heavy rain fall or another source of water, but either way it is not a good sign._

I just nodded at him and moved round the cavern, running my hands over the walls… could we blast our way out? Or would we simply bring the rock above us down on our heads? We needed a way out, if this cavern flooded it was of no concern for me, I didn’t need to breathe like Sera did, I didn’t need to rest aching limbs whilst trying desperately to keep my head above the water…

_She has been awfully quiet… You should say something, reassure her we will escape._

Hyena whispered softly looking over to Sera, I looked back to my Ghost, what on Earth would I say? And how could I reassure her we would escape when I was not even sure if we would? I had no idea if there was any way for us to get out of here without outside help and no one out here knew where we were.

“Jackal… I have a plan but you are not going to like it” Sera suddenly stated and I looked over to her as she stood up, her light blue and white armour stained red in places with her own blood as well as the blood of the Fallen’s victims we’d stumbled upon.

“Right now our options are die in here having accepted that we have no way of escape or die in here having not accepted our fates and tired ourselves out trying to escape to no avail” I replied and she walked over to me, Orion looking a little cautious.

“We cannot get a message through to any of our allies, but I bet the Fallen have a communications tower of some description nearby that we may be able to get a message to…” Sera stated and I nodded, where was she going with this?

“We send out a message stating that we have become trapped and seem to have lost our light once more, unable to use our abilities we are unable to escape and require assistance… They then come free us, thinking they have just found the jackpot” Sera stated and I nodded, it was actually a pretty good plan…

“Though… We will then have to deal with those Fallen with limited ammunition and no idea where we will come out, we could end up in the middle of their base, surrounded and with no escape or we would get lucky and end up out in the open somewhere with plenty of escape routes should we find ourselves face-to-face with more Fallen, the Vex or even the Cabal” I added on and Sera nodded… That was the part of the plan I didn’t like... the uncertainty of what we would end up against.

 **We don’t have many other options, and even then we would have to rely on there being a Fallen terminal nearby**  
_We would also have no way of knowing if they received the message and planned to act on it  
_ **There are also no guarantees they would try and break in here, they may simply try and murder us by burying us under who knows how many feet of rock…**

“Well I don’t exactly see anyone else coming up with a plan!” Sera snapped stalking back to where she had sat before and sliding down the wall, once again sitting as if a statue, Orion close by her side.

“Well… Not like we have any loved ones to miss us when we die down here be it by the hands of the Fallen or you perish from starvation and me from… boredom I guess” I sighed sitting down on the opposite side of the cavern to Sera.

“Luca will miss us…” Sera commented and I shrugged, we were not really that close, not as close as I had been to my former Fireteam, not as close as I had been to Maria and Sera had been to Alexis.

**Sera… Do you want to record a message for him? Let him know what happened, give him closure…**

Orion commented and I looked over at the little Ghost and then to Sera who was now staring up at the ceiling of the cavern. “We’ll do it in a bit Orion… Give me time to think of something to say” Sera replied, her Ghost simply nodding and I looked to Hyena who just shrugged.

I just sighed and looked down at my own armour… It was a dark red anyway but I could tell where the blood had stained it, some of it fresh and from Sera, some of it from the bodies we had found in the Fallen’s base…

__

_“Where does this tunnel lead Jackal?” Sera asked and I glanced back at her and shrugged, we had seen Dreg’s coming in and out of the tunnel a few times throughout the morning and decided it was worth checking out once the frequency of the Dreg’s use of the tunnel had died down._

_It was a long tunnel; we had been in it about three minutes so far, according to my map we were now outside of the Failsafe’s sensors range and coming up under the secondary crash site for Exodus Black._

_“I think we are about to find out though” I commented as the passage started to open up, it was getting brighter as well. We soon found ourselves standing in a decent sized cavern, the Fallen had lamps strapped to every possible surface and row after row of tables with the bodies of dead Fallen and Guardians on…_

_“Jackal… we shouldn’t be here without back up. We need to leave now” Sera commented as she glanced around and I nodded in agreement and turned to leave only to see a group of Dreg’s making their way up towards us forcing us to hide behind several crates that were stacked at the side of the cavern. Hopefully they passed by and we could slip out unseen… Hopefully._

_I looked to Sera as I heard them enter the cavern, they were walking around, moving things around and talking to one another, about what was anyone’s guess but I just wanted them to leave so we could make our escape._

_Though just as the sound of them moving around and talking started to die down one stepped behind the crates and let out an ear splitting screech before Sera could slit its throat and silence him._

_“RUN!” I yelled and we darted towards the tunnel we had come up but the Dreg’s were blocking our escape and they started shooting at us and Sera stumbled back into one of the tables as they focused their fire on her, I just barged into them, three vanishing as arc energy ripped their bodies apart. This allowed Sera the time she needed to heal and gather her sense once more and we went to leave when more Dreg’s started to run up the tunnel towards us followed by a very pissed off looking Captain._

_“THIS WAY!” Sera called and I looked back and she was running towards a passage way that led further into their base but right now it was our best bet so I followed her further into their base, further through winding tunnels and into dead end after dead end._

_“We are lost…” I muttered as we ran into another cavern, suddenly finding the floor below me slippery and I saw Sera fall and quickly pulled her up, her armour now covered in red smudges and I looked round the cavern properly. It was dimly lit but the light from Hyena and Orion allowed me to see the piles and piles of bodies easily… This was worse than the hospital… they had been doing experiments here a lot longer than they had on Earth, just probably not the same ones… And on a multitude of different species, not just us Guardians._

_“We need to get out of here before we end up on this pile” Sera stated and I nodded turning to head out the cavern, now leading Sera through the winding tunnels, both of us shooting down any Fallen we came across until we came stumbled across a massive cavern crawling with Fallen, a clear exit on the other side but it would be suicide to run across to it… there would be no way I could make it, I was not fast enough._

_“Jackal…” Sera stated looking back at me and I gestured for her to go but she didn’t she just grabbed my hand and we ran back through the tunnels, now looking for another way out. Eventually finding a rather small tunnel that I could only just fit through and scrambling down it, hoping it brought us out somewhere relatively safe._

____

I looked back over at Sera, she could have left me behind, she could have saved herself but she made the decision not to. Why?

I stood up and walked over to her and she looked up to me and I knelt in front of her, about to ask her why she would risk her own life for mine but before I could she sat up straight and clapped her hands together.

“I have an idea that is even better than my last one… Awoken… I can try and reach out and link with another Guardian on Nessus, there has to be others on Nessus… right… We can’t be the only ones on this cursed rock” Sera stated and I just stared at her stunned, how had we both missed that? She was Awoken, she was fucking telepathic!

“You beautiful purple woman! Do it! Do it!” I cried out placing my hands on her shoulder and she laughed and sat up right looking to Orion who nodded before looking to me and Hyena.

“I need silence, I need to focus so just stay quiet or it will be harder for me to establish a stable link” she stated and I nodded and sat as still as possible whilst Hyena just floated in front of me, I, Hyena and Orion all staring intently at Sera as she bowed her head, no doubt focusing intently on finding another mind, another Guardian to save our asses.

I daren’t take my eyes off of her in case I missed anything, not that there was anything to miss, all the action was taking place inside of her head and most likely inside the head of another person out there on Nessus, in the mind of our saviour…

I quickly cast a glance to Hyena and then Orion, both still staring at Sera, both silent, both bright eyed and hopeful.

_______________________________________________________________  
Sera – A Cavern Somewhere On Nessus – Midday  
_______________________________________________________________

I focused and searched Nessus for another Guardian, finding a few… I then narrowed my options to two, an Awoken Titan who was close by or an Awoken Warlock who was currently engaged in conversation with Failsafe.

The Warlock... Then I could contact the Titan.

__

_I was on the outskirts of their mind, banging on the door desperately, praying they acknowledged me and let me create a link. After a moment I felt them push back at my mind and I pushed back at them harder, trying to show them my desperation and it worked, they created a link._

_I immediately shared the memory of the Fallen base and its location as well as the tunnel we had gone down… How it had collapsed and we were now trapped with no hope of escape without their help._

_I felt a wave of concern and worry wash over me followed by a wave of determination. They would help_

_I pictured the Titan and they became acutely aware of what I was telling them and I felt them reaching out, pulling another mind into the mix, pulling the Titan in and showing them the same things. His reaction was the same._

_The Warlock then pictured the Vanguard, Ikora and Cayde… Zavala…_

_I just acknowledged them, let them feel the urgency and started to retreat from the link…_

____

I gasped and open my eyes, it was a rushed link, it was slightly panicked and sloppy but it had gotten the job done.

“A Warlock and Titan are teaming up and alerting the Vanguard… they know where we are and will mount a rescue mission” I stated and Jackal lurched forward pulling me into a hug and I just hugged him back, acutely aware that Hyena was caught in the middle and was being squished between us.

“Good, now we just have to hope they find us before the Fallen do… I doubt they will have given up their search for us after we barged in to their secret base of twisted horrors and evil science experiments” Jackal commented as he pulled back and I just nodded. They were territorial creatures that was for sure and they would want to make sure we were out of their territory or were dead… ideally dead.

 **Guess you don’t have to make a goodbye message after all**  
_Who were you going to address the message to, would it be for Luca?  
_ **Sera… I did it again…**

I just sighed and pushed myself up so I was standing, Hyena and Jackal’s gaze following me as I walked around the cavern… The water making a gentle noise below my feet… Wait…

“Jackal… Was this puddle here earlier?” I asked and he very quickly came to my side and looked down at the puddle, it was getting larger by the second… Oh god…

_I told you it looked like the cavern floods Jackal…_

“You Ghosts are smart, how fast is that water flowing in here and how long do we have before it fills this cavern?” Jackal asked our Ghosts, the two Ghosts carefully observing the puddle for a moment before looking back to us, neither looking very happy…

_______________________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower – Just gone one  
_______________________________________________________________

I was staring out at the city thinking about last night, about how after a round of rather passionate love making we had simply lay in her bed and talked about how I feared the loss of those close to me.

She had listened to the various stories of how I had lost those close to me throughout my time as a Guardian, how I had led many Guardians to their deaths during our war against Ghaul and the Red Legion… How their losses had made me fear the loss of Ikora and Cayde even more… The loss of Shaxx, the Speaker… And now her.

Though despite all those fears she simply smiled at me and told me she wanted me to promise her something and she would promise me something in return…

____

_Sera shifted and propped herself up with one arm, laying the other across my chest, smiling down at me._

_“I want you to promise me something Zavala… Promise me you will never doubt yourself like that again. You are a strong and capable leader, which is why we follow your orders, that is why we Guardians trust you. If we didn’t we wouldn’t be out there fighting back against the darkness. Your confidence in us gives us strength… OK… Promise me that and I will make you a promise” she stated and I studied her for a moment, she had a rather serious expression on her face, her hand tracing those patterns on my skin once more…_

_“Very well, I promise…” I stated and she smiled, leaning down and giving me a soft kiss before pulling back and looking down at me once more._

_“OK… I promise that I will always come back from wherever it is that I have run off to in order to shoot bad guys, be it the EDZ, Titan, Nessus or Io… I will always come home, back to the Tower, back to you” Sera stated and I smiled at her and pulled her in close._

____

I let out a content sigh and was about to say something to Neptune when hurried footsteps coming up behind me caused me to turn around and Ikora and Cayde were both stood there.

“We have a situation on Nessus… we have two Guardians trapped in an underground cavern that is filling with water after they stumbled upon a tunnel that led into a Fallen base outside of Failsafe’s sensors range” Cayde stated and I nodded, Cayde then looked to Ikora.

“A Warlock and Titan have teamed up and are trying to gather other Guardians on Nessus to aid them in storming the Fallen’s stronghold and pushing them out, allowing them to safely begin a rescue mission as their ships transmat equipment is unable to penetrate that deep into the ground on Nessus due to the Vex technology running through the planet” Ikora stated and I simply nodded to her.

“Very well, we obviously have limited time if the cavern they are trapped in is slowly filling with water, send in any Fireteams not currently running a strike or mission and have them start to make their way to Nessus to join the rescue efforts… we need to set up a communications link with the Guardians on the ground and the Guardians that are trapped, has anyone done that yet or started to set that up?” I asked and Ikora shook her head whilst Cayde made a noise that told me there was something about my plan that would not work.

“We cannot set up a link with the Guardians who are trapped… You see, the only way the Warlock and Titan know they are down there is because one of them, we don’t know which one, is Awoken and as they were unable to created a communications link the old fashioned way they had to think outside the box… Or in this case inside the mind” Cayde commented and I nodded, fair enough… That did make things trickier but we could make it work.

__________________________________________________________________________  
Jackal – The ‘Cavern of Doom’ on Nessus (Named by Hyena) – Almost three  
__________________________________________________________________________

_So… Their plan is to push the Fallen out of their base and begin a rescue operation with no interruptions from the Fallen… That is a good plan… However it could take hours…_

Hyena commented and I looked to himand then back to Sera who was sat on the other side of the cavern from me and the water which was now rising more quickly thanks to my idiotic attempt to plug the hole with my body. Though it was not far off her, already at the tip of her boots.

__

_“Well, I have found where it is pouring in from… I could jam my hand in there, that would slow it down, not like it will make me cold or prune or anything” I commented and Sera looked at me lay on the floor in the water and then back to the wall._

_“Are you sure?” she asked and I nodded, I couldn’t see her expression behind her helmet though the worry in her voice was obvious, I guess the thought of drowning to death and then being resurrected to only immediately begin to drown again over and over and over again was not a pleasant thought._

_“Sera, I don’t need to breath and we need to buy ourselves time… Once they storm the base the Fallen will probably give up search for us to protect their territory from advancing forces leaving us with only one problem… But we could head that problem off now if we plug this hole” I stated and she took a deep breath and nodded and I looked back to the hole in the wall and started to wiggle my hand in… It was not as easy as I expected it would be… How did they make this look so easy in the movies?_

_I frowned and charged my hand with some arc energy and thrust it into the hole… This had unforeseen consequences…_

_The wall cracked and water started to pour in through the cracks and the hole at the base of the caverns wall was now bigger allowing the water to flow in even quicker…_

_“Fuck..."_

____

“Orion… I want to make that message… Just in case this all goes horribly wrong” Sera suddenly stated and her Ghost nodded and floated in front of her, nodding to her to signal he was recording.

“Hi… It’s me as you probably guessed… I am not very good at these things so I am going to keep it short and sweet… I know we haven’t really been together that long but it has been an intense, emotional and amazing time, we really went for the all or nothing thing didn’t we…” Sera stated, pausing as she let out a small chuckle, I just looked to Hyena who smiled at me a little sadly.

“Anyway, I want you to know I meant it when I said I felt the same way, that I was falling in love with you and I am really pissed I am not going to get to fall in love with you… Just, can you do me a few favours? They may seem silly but they would mean a lot to me…” Sera stated, she was starting to choke up, I could hear it in her voice, the way it was cracking as she spoke…

“I want you to have my apartment; I know how much you and Neptune like the view out the bedroom window… Secondly I want you to keep your promise, I know I broke mine and I didn’t come home and I am so sorry, I wish I could have… Damn it Zavala… I told you I was no good at this, just, tell Cayde he still owes me and Ikora, Shaxx and Devrim thanks for keeping our secret, even if it was only for a little while” Sera cried, taking a few deep breaths to collect herself and I felt fear and anger start to bubble up inside of me. If she was making that message did she think there was any hope of a rescue? Did she think they would fail in their attempt to charge the base and safe us? Did that leave it up to us to get ourselves out of here?

 “That is it! I AM GETTING US OUT OF HERE NOW! FUCK WAITING FOR THEM!” I snapped standing up and starting to pace around the cavern, looking round for anything, any way out. I just needed fresh air; I was no good at being in enclosed spaces with my thoughts.

Sera just jumped and looked to me, placing a hand over Orion who got the message and stopped recording and floated over to Hyena who was watching me from afar.

_There is no way out! We looked; there are no weaknesses in the walls of this cavern that we can punch through, no where we can dig to, no way to climb back out… Jackal, we can’t get out without their help!_

Hyena snapped and I let out a snarl and looked around… Wait… There was a weakness in the wall. I looked to the crack and smirked. “Scan the cracks; is it just water behind it? Nothing else, no underwater cavern that may lead somewhere? I mean the water didn’t just get there on its own!” I snapped and both Ghosts scanned the cracks whilst Sera stood and made her way over to me.

“Jackal, I can’t breathe underwater… If you break that wall and it isn’t a short swim to safety I will drown, there is no two ways about it” Sera pointed out and I looked to her and nodded.

“I know… and I am sorry because it is going to be painful and terrifying but I will make sure you get out, even if it means you drown a few times” I stated and Sera just backed up from me, her breathing becoming faster, more panicked.

“I don’t want to drown Jackal… I’ve drowned before and it is one of the most horrific deaths I have ever experienced. Can we just wait, see what happens, see how long it takes them! What if that leads nowhere and I am stuck in a vicious circle of drowning and being revived and then drowning again only to be brought back to life to drown once more” Sera stated and I took a deep breath and looked to our Ghosts, Orion darting to Serafina’s side.

 _There is another cavern behind that wall, from what we can tell a few tunnels lead off from it, some going towards the surface… However, all the fluid on the surface of this planet is Vex fluid; I have never seen an open body of water on Nessus... Granted there are a few puddles and shallow ponds but they are on the other side of the damned planet to us right now Jackal!  
_ **It isn’t worth the risk Jackal… And I will not let you put Serafina through that.**

“WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS AND TIME FOR BOTH OF US! I CANNOT STAY IN HERE MUCH LONGER SERA” I yelled and Sera just backed up a little bit, Orion floating in front of her as if he were her shield.

“Jackal, our only hope is if that leads to the surface and then we could potentially be stuck in the middle of a VEX MILK LAKE! THAT STUFF STINGS BY THE WAY! Or… Or it ends up in the Chamber of Waters which may I remind you is on the other side of the planet to us right now! It was miles behind us when we entered that damned tunnel! WE HAVE TO WAIT HERE!” Sera snapped back and I just stared at her for a moment…

**Jackal… You… You are sparking…**


	14. Chapter 14 - Ghostless Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue is underway... But the Fallen are not giving up on their plans as easily.

_______________________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower Comms Room – Half three  
_______________________________________________________________

We stood watching the screens as twenty-four Guardians stormed the Fallen base, three heading straight for the tunnel the two Guardians had been heading down before getting trapped.

“How did you manage to get so many Guardians on Nessus so quickly?” I asked Cayde and he looked to me and went to speak but stopped himself… What had he done?

“So… I may have sent out a message stating whoever made it to Nessus and helped out in this rescue mission could get five-thousand glimmer… Luckily I have won the last three poker games I played with Amanda. Though don’t expect anything off of me for any birthdays or holidays for the next thousand years because I never expected so many Guardians to respond” the Exo stated and I stared at him for a moment before looking back to the screen.

The three Guardians heading for the tunnel the Hunter had stated they had gone down before the floor gave way had reached the tunnel but there was a problem.

_“It is blocked off, it looks like a rock fall, probably caused by an explosion of some description… And the Hunter has gone silent; I can’t find her mind… I can’t even sense the Titan she was with”_

One of the Guardians stated and I quickly studied all the feeds… Her… He referred to the Hunter as female…

“Zavala… You look like you realised something? Please tell me it is a genius plan to save those Guardians” Cayde stated looking at me eagerly and I just shook my head, Cayde’s expression quickly changing to one of a disappointment mixed with curiosity.

“What is it then?” Ikora asked and I turned to her, unsure if I could actually vocalise my realisation…

“Sera is on Nessus with Jackal… An Awoken Hunter and a Titan who were out looking for a Fallen base. They must have done one better than finding the location from Fallen terminals” I stated and Cayde looked back to the screens, going over each one carefully. Trying to figure out which of the Guardians were one of his Hunters and who they were… Checking if I was mistaken and Sera was amongst the rescue team.

_“Commander Zavala… What do we do now? We could try and blast our way in but we have no idea how stable the cavern is, we could cause it to collapse on them… Granted their Ghosts could revive them but they may very well remain trapped”_

One of the Guardians stated and Ikora stepped forward. A determined expression on her face, leaving me and Cayde stood behind her, helplessly watching the screens, Cayde fidgeting with his cloak and myself internally berating myself for being unable to save not only two good Guardians but the woman I cared for… How did this keep happening?

______________________________________________________________  
Luca – Nessus – Quarter to four  
_______________________________________________________________

The Warlock and Titan stood discussing the best way to get into the tunnel when I just got fed up of listening.

“Oh that is enough talk… Time for some action!” I snapped popping my Golden Gun and shooting the rock that blocked our way, the bullets sailing through the rock causing it to start crumbling away.

“WHAT THE HELL!” The Titan yelled at me and I just shrugged and moved closer to the rock and started to pull it away, I was fed up of sitting around waiting for some poor damsel in distress Awoken to be rescued by one of these two idiots… God forbid they beat me to the girl.

_“Good thinking Hunter… Maybe your rash nature isn’t such a disadvantage after all”_

I just chuckled at Ikora’s comment as I felt a hand on my shoulder and the Titan gestured for me to move, his flaming fist giving me all the information I needed to know before he punched the rock as hard as he could sending it flying in every direction including towards us… Good job for tough armour.

** Oh… Revival required… **

Dom stated and I turned back and the Warlock was dead on the floor, a fragment of rock lodged in his face… I just turned back to the Titan who was oddly quiet whilst I just nodded to Dom to aid the Ghost of the Warlock in the revival process.

_“Totally going in my blooper reel… Titan accidentally kills Warlock by punching rock… Hilarious”_

I just chuckle at Cayde’s comment whilst the Titan rubs the back of his head. “Sorry… I didn’t think that would happen… I just thought hitting it would speed the process up” the Titan commented, the Warlock did the usual Warlock thing and scoffed.

“Brute strength does not solve everything” he commented as we returned to trying to move the rubble form the tunnel, hopefully it wasn’t majorly blocked otherwise we’d be here forever and the poor Guardians trapped in the cavern stuck in a cycle of drowning and coming back to simply drown again. Even if their helmets were completely water tight that would still be pretty horrific, they would eventually run out of oxygen leaving them to suffocate again and again and again.

_“We need to speed the process up, we have no idea how big that cavern is or how long it will take to fill with water… I hate to admit it, but brute strength may be our quickest way in. Just keep a safe distance”_

Ikora stated and I looked to the Warlock who let out an infuriated groan before looking to the Titan.

“OK… You are obviously running round with a flaming hammer so… Line them up nicely; use that brute force of yours to get us into that cavern… And don’t kill anyone doing it” they stated and I just nodded at the Titan and gave him a thumbs up.

“OK. Get round that corner and keep your faces covered” the Titan chuckled and I darted round the corner with the Warlock and we watched cautiously as the Titan activated his super ability and started to throw flaming hammer after flaming hammer at the entrance to the tunnel, eventually sizzling out and leaving a gigantic hole in the wall.

“OK… That did the trick. Brute strength here to save the day” he rather smugly commented as we walked back round the corner, a few other Guardians now joining us having cleared out their areas of the base and curious to see what all the noise was.

“Yeah, am sure the Hunter will be real impressed, another Titan showing off their strength” the Warlock muttered as they started to crawl down the tunnel, I just patted the big guy on the back before starting to climb into the tunnel.

“Am sure she would be if I wasn’t going to dazzle her with my dazzling smile and amazing way with words” I chuckled as I started to follow the Warlock down the tunnel, the Titan just sighing and taking up the rear.

_“How about you press pause on debating a Titan’s qualities in the eyes of a Hunter later… Save them first”_

Ikora commented, her tone made it sound like she found something amusing, Dom suddenly lighting the way as the light started to fade, the Warlock stopping after a minute or two.

“Water is seeping up into this tunnel from below us… Concord, can you tell me the point of origin of this water and if there are any signs of life below us” he stated and I glanced back at the Titan who was trying to peek round me, see what was going on.

_ So there is a cavern below us with sporadic life signs from one individual in it. The water is flowing in from directly below me, though the rock is thick, you will most likely need to use brute force to break through. _

His Ghost stated and I had to bite my lip to stop myself laughing… Our Titan friend at the rear of our little convoy however was not so courteous and let out a rather hearty laugh that came about half way to rivalling Shaxx’s.

“You two back up… Warlock’s know how to use brute strength as well… and get ready for a revive” he stated and I did as told and we backed up, the Warlock watching us carefully before positioning himself just above where his Ghost had stated the water was flowing up from.

“One for your epic moments montage Cayde” he stated before blasting the rock below him with a Nova Bomb, decimating not only the rock but himself in the process.

“FUCK! Warlocks have balls!” the Titan behind me snapped and I just cautiously moved forward, aware the floor could once again cave in and I watched the Warlock’s Ghost revive him as I slipped into the flooded cavern.

“OK, since you boys have more muscle than I do I will get them to the surface; you get them out this damned place…” I commented diving down once both the Warlock and Titan nodded and quickly scanning the cavern for a body.

After a moment I felt something grab onto me and I turned to find a hunter clinging to me, I recognised her armour immediately and dragged her up to the surface, the water draining from both our helmets and she started gasping for breath.

“They took him… They broke into the cavern and took him Luca… They have Jackal!” Sera cried out, Orion appearing from in her cloak hood. I just held her close for a second before nodding up to the Titan and Warlock who pulled her up out of the cavern, the Titan pointing her in the right direction whilst I dove back down into the cave, Dom starting to scan it.

I turned my attentions to a massive hole in the wall, water flowing in through it… They had broken in… I turned round and there were scorch marks on the wall opposite and burns consistent with Fallen gunfire… How had they gotten in if the water had been seeping in from there?

_____________________________________________________________________  
Sera – On the crashed Exodus Black ship with Failsafe and Luca – Four  
_____________________________________________________________________

I just sat staring at Failsafe, she had been telling me about small quakes her sensors had been picking up recently, however she now believed they had been insignificant and as such as not mentioned or monitored them. Though she now believed them to be connected with Fallen activity outside of the range of her sensors.

“Captain… If the Fallen only wish to use your delightfully little Ghosts why take your crew mate?” Failsafe asked her voice light and cheery… Never thought I would wish to be talking with ‘Evil Twin’ Failsafe. At least she would sound upset about the whole chain of events…

“I don’t know Failsafe… Every time we think we have the Fallen down and are starting to understand them they go and do something like this… Who knows if they even meant to take Jackal” I sighed, Luca coming to sit by my side, placing his arm around my neck and pulling me into lean on him. Usually I would have brushed him off, but right now I needed a hug, and since Orion or Failsafe were incapable of giving me a hug and Zavala wasn’t here I would have to settle with a hug from Luca.

“Boy oh boy… I bet they are tearing him apart like he was fresh baked bread” ‘Evil Twin’ Failsafe suddenly stated and I just lolled my head back. You could not win with her; she either said the right thing in the wrong voice or the wrong thing in completely the wrong voice…

“We’ll find him Sera, we’ll find him and we’ll bring him home” Luca stated, Dom and Orion floating in front of me, Orion twisting and shaking to get all the water out of his shell.

_“Serafina… When you feel ready return to the Tower. The Vanguard would like a debrief. Also, we are all extremely relieved to see you safe”_

Zavala’s voice suddenly stated over the comms and I found myself smiling whilst Orion stopped draining his shell and looked to me, smiling at me. “If it is alright with the Vanguard I would like to stay out here as long as possible, try and find Jackal and Hyena. Make those Fallen pay” I replied and there was silence for a moment before the comms crackled to life.

_“Very well, though we do have a number of Guardians scouring the area and scanning the underground caverns for where they could have taken them… Don’t push yourself, you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders remember”_

I found myself smiling slightly; he was such a caring man… Throwing out any worries of others hearing his messages and figuring out that we were in a relationship to ensure I was alright and that I knew no one would think any differently of me for returning to the tower. “I won’t Commander… I will alert the Vanguard when I begin my return to Earth” I stated, a sound of acknowledgement was all I received down the comms, though the sound of Cayde speaking was in the background before the comms went quiet.

“So… You want to get out there and find our troublesome Titan?” Luca asked moving his arm from around me and pushing himself up and on to his feet. I nodded and accepted his hand up, sighing as I stood up and looking at Luca for a moment; he placed his hand on my shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze… At least when it came down to it he wasn’t being an ass and flirting with me… Stopping as I had requested.

“By the way… Thank you for ditching your day in the crucible to come and rescue my sorry ass” I stated and Luca just chuckled, unholstering his gun and starting to make his way out of the Exodus Black.

“Well, I was in the Endless Vale arena which is on Nessus so I wasn’t exactly far away… And Cayde said he would give five-thousand glimmer to any Guardian who came to help out. Twenty-odd turned up so he is going to be well out of pocket” Luca chuckled and I smiled, following him out of the Exodus Black and into the open air.

_______________________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower – Seven that evening  
_______________________________________________________________

I stood staring out at the Traveller… After Luca and Sera had set out to try and find Jackal Ikora and Cayde had kicked me out the comms room, Cayde stating I was getting in the way whilst Ikora was much blunter. What was it she had said… I needed to distract my mind so I didn’t focus on the potential loss of Jackal and almost having lost Sera…

**_Zavala… I know you are worrying about her but you don’t need to, she is safe…_ **

Neptune commented and I glanced up at my Ghost before looking back to the Traveller… He was right, I was worrying about her, but he was also wrong, she wasn’t safe. The Fallen had taken a Guardian and their Ghost when they had their Light, when they were in the company of another Guardian who also had their Light…

“The Fallen have slain Guardians before and I have no doubt they will again if they haven’t already… Hunters can go weeks without checking in with the Tower, what if one day she goes out on patrol and something terrible happens to her? How long would it be before people started to suspect that something had gone wrong? And then how long would it be before we found out what happened to her… if we found out at all?” I mused and Neptune just looked at me before looking out at the Traveller, falling silent.

His silence was unnerving… We often stood in silence, but something about this was different, something was annoying him, and I had a feeling it was me…

____________________________________________________________________________  
Sera – Nessus, Exodus Black secondary crash site – Seven fifteen give or take  
____________________________________________________________________________

I sighed, sitting down and just staring into the ruins of the Exodus Black… It had been empty, not a damned thing, no sign of Fallen, no sign of Jackal, not a damned thing.

**Sera…**

“Yes Orion” I muttered, glancing to my Ghost next to me, pretty sure he was going to request we head home now, we had been searching for three hours now and all we had succeeded in doing was killing a few Fallen that had been milling around and discovering another portion of the Exodus Black, completely empty and devoid of life.

**Could you create a telepathic link with him?**

I was about to reply when I paused a moment… It was not something I had never really tried and it was not something that I knew a large amount about. An Exo was a human conscious in a robotic body… So could I connect with that conscious, or was it just all circuitry and wire?

“OK… When Luca gets back from his toilet break tell him to keep his trap shut…” I muttered closing my eyes and focusing on the minds around me.

__

_My mind raced across Nessus, seeking out any living being, trying to figure out their race from what glimpses of their mind I could gleam…_

_I passed Luca’s mind… Thinking about food…_  
_I paused at a Titan but they were a human and taking great delight in punching a Vandal to death…_  
 _Warlock… Books_  
 _Hunter… Chicken… Deep fried…_  
 _Hunter… Chicken… Roast dinner…_  
 _Titan… Awoken and thinking about… Sex…_  
 _Warlock… Human… Vex_  
 _Warlock… Exo…_

_I paused and focused on their mind, not trying to establish a link, just trying to see if I could focus in on their mind, to see if I could determine anything from it… And I could… They were thinking about what the Fallen were doing… About loss… About Ikora… OK... Interesting..._

_I refocused and started to push myself towards my limit, reaching out further and further across Nessus searching for any sign of another Exo, any sign of Jackal but I couldn’t find it… There was nothing… No… There was something… A faint flicker of a mind in the Fallen base we had become trapped under… But something wasn’t quite right… It was moving away, into the flood caverns…_

_I had to focus hard to determine what they were thinking and even then I could only sense the odd thought… Revenge… Murder… Ether… Odd sensations… Pain…_

_I pulled back from the mind to try and determine who else was in the base but there was no one… They must have all made their way back to their homes… to their loves ones…_

__

I let out a painful groan as I opened my eyes; Luca sat next to me fiddling with his playing knife... tossing it up in the air and catching it swiftly and with ease… I wonder if I could teach… Zavala…

Luca just looked to me, putting his knife away before I even had a chance to blink.

“During my toilet break I received a message from Ikora. Someone just entered that Fallen base and slaughtered seven Guardians, taking their Ghosts… Only one survived, a Warlock who stated it was another Guardian, a Titan to be exact. Kitted out in dark red armour, their Ghost nowhere to be seen yet able to revive themselves… It… It sounds like it could Jackal…” Luca commented and I just stared at him for a minute… was he serious?

“Where is that Warlock now?” I asked and Luca shrugged and I forced myself to stand, my head starting to spin as I did so, I had really pushed myself in order to reach out across so much of Nessus… I had not realised just how far we had travelled.

“Orion, connect me to Ikora…” I commented and I suddenly heard a crackling sound as a communication link between myself and Ikora was established.

“Ikora… I need to speak with the Warlock that survived the attack by the Ghostless Guardian… I need to know what happened” I stated, the comms quiet for a moment before Ikora replied.

“They are returning to the Tower, once they arrive I shall have them wait in the communication room for your arrival… I could also inform Commander Zavala you are returning, he would like a debrief” Ikora stated and I paused…

“Very well, we will start to make our way back now” I stated nodding to Orion to cut the comms and he did so… Great… I was going to have to face Zavala suddenly feeling completely unsure of our future together… Did I follow my heart and stay with him or follow my mind and break it off, save us both the heartache...

**Bringing the ship round to take us home, home-sweet-home**


	15. Chapter 15 - It Is Never Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well... Things are not going on Nessus, though Cayde has one again worked his magic with regards to relationship advice. He should be an agony aunt...

_______________________________________________________________  
Cayde – The Hanger Bay – Eight in the evening  
_______________________________________________________________

I started pacing as I waited for Sera’s ship to arrive, both her and Luca would be coming up to their final approach to the city by now, but as with anything you were waiting for time was moving so slowly…

You are amazingly impatient…

“Thank you Ace… What a lovely compliment” I muttered, pausing as a familiar ship came into the hanger and Sera departed, starting to head towards the comms room but I cut her off and linked an arm with her, slowing her pace down allowing me time to say what I needed to.

“Zavala is watching the footage our Warlock friend captured of the attack over and over again, he is obsessing with it, trying to find any details that can help him understand why it happened… He is blaming himself for every life lost today, it wouldn’t surprise me if he started to beat himself up about the dead Fallen… Maybe you could help him see it isn’t his fault… Sooth his soul with that smile of yours he never shuts up about” I stated and Sera stopped in her tracks and looked at me…

“You look really upset… Really, really, really upset…” I muttered and Sera just let out a very tired and less than amused sigh.

“I… I want to end it with him. I can’t keep my promise; I can’t guarantee that I will come home all the time. One of these days something will happen and that will be that, I will be dead and he will heartbroken. I can’t put him through that Cayde… Not… Not when…” she started, stopping as tears filled her eyes…

Fuck… What had I done?

Cayde… As your Ghost it is my job to look out for your well being… But please, feel free to step off the side of the Tower…

“Hush you… Look, Sera… He is fully aware that there is a chance you cannot keep that promise, recent events had shown us that light or not a Guardians survival is never guaranteed… And do you know what, he doesn’t care. You should hear how he talks about you… He adores you, he would do anything to make you happy, you could ask him to be the fucking queen of the city and he would make it happen” I stated, placing both of my hands on her shoulders, keeping eye contact and hoping I got through to her.

She is crying now… Great…  
**Sera…**  
He really does Adore you though, Cayde is telling the truth... I think Neptune has already fallen in love with you, he is mad about you…  
**And I am mad about Zavala… He makes you so happy. Remember that night you told him about you and Alexis, he held you and listened, helped sort your wound out… promised never to hurt you like Alexis had… He really cares about you… And you said yourself when you made that recording that you were ‘pissed’ you would not get to fall in love with him…**

“You are falling in love with him… How adorable… Come on Sera… Don’t throw away a great thing like your relationship just because of some silly self doubts. Talk to him about it, after all isn’t that what a partner is there for? To support you at times like these?” I stated, tilting my head and giving her my usual charming smile.

“Do you have any idea how annoying you are Cayde?” she asked and I just paused a moment before nodding and removing my hands from her shoulders, watching as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“If you weren’t so good with advice someone would have shot you in the face for it by now” she then commented before heading to the comms room, I just smiled and followed suit, giving Ace a smug smile.

Don’t push it… Next time she might shoot you in the face…

_______________________________________________________________  
Zavala – Comms Room – Five past eight roughly…  
_______________________________________________________________

Sera entered the room, her eyes slightly puffy and duller than usual, the usual signs that an Awoken had been crying…

“Ah, Serafina, this is Arjic. He witnessed the attack and his Ghost recorded it…” Ikora stated and Sera simply nodded at Ikora, looking over to the Warlock seated next to his vanguard, the distress he was feeling clear on his face.

“Hi Arjic… I know your Ghost recorded the entire thing but I want to hear what happened from you” Sera stated softly, reaching out and grabbing the Warlock’s hand in her own causing the Warlock to look to her.

“I don’t know much, I was on an upper level and he had no idea I was there… he had cut down three Guardians before another Warlock unleashed a Nova Bomb on him and completely decimated him… But he revived himself… Without a Ghost… How is that possible?” Arjic stated, beginning to mumble towards the end of his sentence.

“Arjic… How about we try something a little different… Are you aware the Awoken posses telepathic abilities?” Sera asked the Warlock, clearly concerned with how he was handling the situation but also in desperate need of answers. She smiled slightly when the Warlock nodded, he was not Awoken himself, but not an Exo meaning linking with him would be relatively straight forward but not as clear cut as if linking with another Awoken.

“OK… So, I am going to create a link between our minds and all I need you to do is focus on the memory of the attack, on the sights and smell, any little sounds… Just focus on it… And remember, you cannot get hurt whilst doing this, there is no way for me to cause you physical pain doing this and there is no way for you to cause me physical pain… OK…” Sera stated… her voice was rather stern but there was something soft and caring about it at the same time, that combined with the certainty of what she was saying seemed to calm the Warlock down. He had been a blubbering mess upon returning to the Tower. Clearly a younger Guardian who was not as use to death and destruction as some of the other Guardians wandering around the Tower.

“We shall leave you in peace and quiet then… Zavala, shall we” Ikora stated and I looked to the Warlock stood beside me, as she placed a hand on my back and guided me out of the room, shooing Cayde out along with me. The Exo had been surprisingly quiet… and compliant…

What had he done?

_______________________________________________________________  
Sera – Comms Room – Half eight or there about…  
_______________________________________________________________

Once everyone else had left the room I looked to Arjic and gave him a reassuring smile… Hopefully this would work and give me all the information I needed; patrolling Nessus had been a waste of time so hopefully determining what happened in the cavern may give us some leads.

“OK, so how this works is we close our eyes, take deep breaths and focus on that memory… It is going to feel odd at first but don’t worry about that, it is just my presence in your mind… Also do not worry about me seeing or hearing anything you don’t want me to, I will focus solely on that memory and nothing else” I stated and he nodded, a small smile now on his lips.

“OK… Here goes nothing…” Arjic muttered closing his eyes and I kept a hold of his hand and did the same, focusing on his mind… Steadily creating a link.

__

_I opened my eyes… Arjic was desperately trying to focus on the memory though it was a little chaotic, flashes of other memories kept springing up making it harder to focus on the memory of the attack on the cavern._

_Focus… Deep breaths… Just take your time… Focus…_

_Slowly things started to clear, to become less chaotic… The cavern formed below my feet and the walls around me… Guardians stood scanning objects, trying to figure out what different tools did and how they were used…_

_Suddenly a Titan came in from down one of the various tunnels that led into the large cavern and just glanced round the room… From the higher advantage Arjic was looking down from it became clear he had Fallen swords in his hands… Everyone had stopped and looked to him, confused as to why he was wielding our enemies’ weapons._

_Then the mayhem began. He launched himself at two hunters stood a few feet from him, cutting them both down quickly, their Ghosts letting out a horrific scream of pain before falling to the floor, silent and unmoving… However their light was still on… flickering away but never going out._

_As quickly as he struck down the first two Guardians he struck down a Titan who was trying to shift some equipment with the aid of a Warlock… The same horrific scream being let out from their Ghost._

_However the Warlock did not fall to the same fate, quick thinking as most are they cast a Nova Bomb and a second later the attacker was simply a body on the floor, being consumed by void light…_

_Four other Guardians moved in to have a look, though a few seconds later the attacker had revived themselves causing the four to jump back… A Titan wasn’t fast enough and was cut down… That scream again… It was so similar to the one the Ghosts implanted in the Dregs had made…_

_The memory started to become fuzzy, Arjic losing focus once more… Come on. Focus… You can do this…_

_The fuzziness cleared after a moment… Arjic was still looking down from above, moving slightly, a scope coming up and the attacker was clearer now…_

_Jackal…_

_Why? Why would he do this?_

_What was going on?_

_With quick darting movements a Hunter darted at the Titan… at Jackal… Their smoke grenade disorientating him for a moment… Arjic fired a shot but missed his mark, catching his shoulder plates instead of his head._

_Part of me was relieved…_

_When he had his bearings back another Hunter charged him but was impaled on one of those Fallen blades… Something odd happening as the sickening sound of that scream rang out and the gurgling sound of the blood frothing out of the Guardians mouth as the blade was twisted inside of them… It was almost as if something was flowing up the sword, not just the usual arc energy, it was as if something was flowing from the Guardian and into the blade and up to Jackal… What… What was it?_

_Once he had discarded the Hunter he turned his attention to the Warlock and other Hunter stood back, both looking ready to do battle, the Hunter then dropping a smoke bomb, Arjic looked up from his scope… He could not risk a shot in case he missed and hit one of them… His emotions starting to flow through the memory… Worry, desperation… sadness… Something unfulfilled…_

_I focused on the scene unfolding before me… The attacker… Jackal, cautiously moved around, listening carefully for anything that would give away the other Guardians… Wait… Was he even a Guardian still?_

_Eventually the Hunter reappeared directly in front of him, finger held down on the trigger of his auto rifle causing Jackal to stumble back slightly but it wasn’t enough, he swung his sword up and decapitated the Guardian, their head rolling to one side and hitting the floor with a horrid thud… I was starting to feel nausea… But it wasn’t mine… Arjic… He had felt sick upon seeing that and I understood completely…_

_Just the Warlock left and he suddenly appeared beside Arjic, pulling him back… Just the two of them._

_“Take this back to the Vanguard, it is a scan of him… I don’t think he knows you are here so whilst I distract him you use this from our Hunter friend and run. OK?” the other Warlock stated and he placed a smoke bomb in one of his hands and a data pad in his other…_

_A Warlock carrying a data pad with him… Why was I not surprised…_

_Arjic looked back up to the other Warlock who placed his hand on Arjic’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You can do it, just drop that and run… And don’t you dare look back… Just get your ass back to Ikora, let the Vanguard know we did all we could… Let them know we are sorry we let them down” the Warlock stated and I now felt my own emotions coming into the mix, unable to contain my guilt and sadness it mixed with Arjic’s and I had to push myself to stay focused._

_Arjic nodded to the other Warlock before he stood and walked to the edge of that level, brandishing his sword and jumping down… You could hear the clashes of the swords and grenades going off… Arjic looked to the smoke bomb in his hand, crushing it and being engulfed by the contents and making his break for it, dropping down off the ledge and gliding towards the door, only glancing back at the fight, the Warlock was holding his own… but that soon changed… The Titan ran him through… Arjic just turned and ran as his feet hit the floor, out the cavern and into the open air…_

_“Get us out of here… Now!” Arjic snapped at his Ghost who nodded and a ship swooped in…_

____

I cut the link as he boarded his ship… Opening my eyes and seeing Arjic’s eyes filled with tears whilst I just wished I could go back to being a pile of bones in the Cosmodrome, uncaring as to what happened to the world, my time on it having come to an end.

“You did the right thing… They all did and we won’t let anyone forget that” I muttered squeezing his hand and he nodded the tears freeing themselves…

“Come here… I know it is hard… And it isn’t going to get better anytime soon, but it will… It does. Eventually. You just have to keep your eyes up and push forward” I sighed pulling him into a hug and he wrapped his arms around my midsection and cried into my chest plate, I just held him close and took deep breaths to prevent my own tears from spilling.

**You did a brave thing… I know it may not seem like it but you did. As did those that lost their lives…**

Orion stated, his voice soothing and after a few minutes Arjic ceased crying and pulled back from the hug, looking to his own Ghost who smiled at him and nodded… Orion darting over to the little Ghost and moving around him…

**He is damaged… That is why he only nods at you… He can’t speak… Oh my… Sera, imagine if I could not talk…**

Orion stated and I chuckled and looked to Arjic.

“It would be blissful…” I whispered and Arjic smiled at me and looked to his Ghost.

“Ansel was stepped on by a Cabal Phalanx and his ability to speak was taken from him… I am just happy he survived though, I don’t know what I would do without him” Arjic stated and I smiled and held my hand out for the mute little Ghost.

 “Ansel… nice to meet you” I stated as the little Ghost settled into my hand and smiled, Orion just floated to my side and settled on my shoulder.

**You are glad I can speak… You need to admit it…**

“You know I am, I shouldn’t need to tell you Orion… Now, how about we and the Vanguard look over that scan…” I stated and Ansel floated back to Arjic’s side and he nodded, pointing to the data pad set down on a table to the one side of the room.

“OK… I will go fetch them” I stated and I stood and headed out of the comms room, the three were stood with Amanda just talking.

“We should probably look at that scan, try and figure out what caused Jackal to turn on and murder his fellow Guardians” I stated as I approached Ikora nodding and bidding farewell to Amanda, Cayde quickly following behind her giving me a thumbs up whilst Zavala turned to me and smiled.

“Before we head back in, I want a word in private” he stated and I just found myself nodding and we stepped to one side out of earshot of those around us and hidden from their sight. Orion looked at me, his expression one of worry and sadness… He was probably still worried I would end it with Zavala…

“Look… Before you say anything I need to say something” I stated, placing my hands on his chest and stepping closer to him, allowing me to take in his scent for a moment and calming my nerves.

**Sera… Please…**

I just glanced to Orion and Zavala tensed up… I just sighed, now both were thinking the worst, both would be on edge and perhaps feel the worst was about to happen with the first few sentences I was about to say.

“I realised I may not be able to keep my promise to you, one day something terrible could happen to me and unlike today I won’t be rescued or be able to save myself and I don’t want to put you through that, I don’t want us to fall in love and build a life together and then have it ripped away with my death… I don’t want to hurt you Zavala. I care about you” I stated and he placed his hands on my hips and looked down at me, a sad smile on his face…

**_Oh no… Sera… What are you doing?_ **

“Look I am not going to lie, I thought about ending our relationship before one of us gets hurt but… However, Cayde made me realise that I should not throw away something as great as what we have simply because you are likely to outlive me…” I stated and Zavala let out a relieved sigh and crashed our lips together and I smiled into the kiss running my hands up his chest armour and wrapping my arms round his neck.

“Hey… Ikora is… Oh…” a voice suddenly stated and I turned round to see Amanda stood there staring at us shocked and Zavala just let out an annoyed groan whilst I found myself laughing.

“This one is on you big guy” I chuckled as I headed past Amanda and towards the comms room, Ikora glancing up at me from a data pad whilst Cayde looked at me wide eyed and curious.

“Zavala is just explaining something to Holliday then he will be in…” I stated and Cayde let out a girlish giggle causing Ikora and Arjic to look at him confused and then to me, I just shrugged and took a seat next to Arjic.

“Apparently the scan is rather interesting… I wouldn’t know I haven’t a clue about the inner workings of an Exo” he stated and I smiled and looked to Ikora going over the data, Cayde glancing at it over her shoulder.

“I don’t know that much either… Just the essential bits, you know, where to not get shot, don’t eat or drink solid or normal foods because that is asking for trouble… Oh! And don’t stick your finger in an electrical socket” Cayde stated and I just nodded at him whilst his Ghost sighed. “What? It is bad for you, especially if you are built predominately out of metal” Cayde added, glancing from his Ghost back down to the data pad and suddenly stopping Ikora from scrolling through it any further.

“Sorry about that… Cayde… Is everything alright?” Zavala asked walking in as Cayde started walking round the room with the data pad, muttering something again and again.

“Do you know why you find it hard to connect with Exo’s telepathically?” Cayde suddenly asked and I looked to Zavala and then back to Cayde. “No, neither Awoken know why? What about our two Humans? Got any ideas?” Cayde added and Ikora went to take the data pad back but Cayde stepped back and held his hands up.

“Fine… I will tell you. It is because our mind is not like yours, yours is all squishy and icky and… pinkish… Mine is wires and circuit boards… It is a mind none the less, and it works just as yours does, just not using the same parts and the Awoken can sometimes struggle to get past that, to find the mind in all of that… It takes a lot of concentration and skill to do so… But this Exo, well, he is missing a few key bits, like the mother board that allows us to think for ourselves… It is what makes us Exo and not just a bog standard robot, his is missing” Cayde stated and Ikora finally took the data pad back and started to scroll through it, me and Arjic moving to glance at it as well, the five of us watching carefully.

“Wait, what is that…” Zavala commented suddenly and Ikora stopped, the lines of code and information suddenly vanished and was replaced with Eliskni.

 **Oh no… What have they done to him…**  
_It cannot be good  
_ When is it with the Fallen?  
_Never… It is never good…  
_**What about Hyena…**  
__Good questions. Where is he?

The Ghosts conversed amongst themselves, Aristotle chiming in for once; he was usually a quiet Ghost.

“Looks like they pretty expertly took out what make an Exo their own person and fitted it with scavenged tech and put their own instructions in… Though I am not hundred percent sure but I believe they programmed him to take out anything that is not Fallen and to feed… To feed? On what?” Cayde exclaimed, clearly as confused as the rest of us.

“There is too much code here to go over in one sitting… They got an extremely detailed scan. One that is going to take a while to make heads or tails of, till then I suggest we pull Guardians back, no one goes to Nessus without back-up and no one engages whatever they have turned Jackal-39 into should they come across him… We cannot afford any more loses. We were just starting to get back to the strength we were at before the battle of the Twilight Gap and The Great Disaster happened when the Red Legion attacked…” Ikora stated and I noticed Zavala tense a little at the mention of Twilight Gap… Of course, he was there; he would have seen the devastation caused by the attack.

“In that case, why don’t you send me a copy and we can both look at it tonight and tomorrow, hopefully gather all the information we need in order to determine what they have done to him and potentially find out what happened to his Ghost and how he can resurrect himself without them…” Cayde commented and Ikora nodded in agreement and I looked to Arjic who still looked pretty mortified by the whole thing.

“Want some ramen and a drink? You look like you could use it” I stated and the Warlock looked to me before looking back at the Vanguard, Ikora was doing something on the data pad whilst Cayde was already half way out the door, meanwhile Zavala was sat going over something on his data pad.

“That sounds good, I’d like that” Arjic replied and I nodded and we stood up to leave when I noticed Zavala was watching what I assumed was the footage from the attack and replying parts over and over, studying it…

“Actually Arjic… Meet me at the Ramen place in about an hour… I need a shower first” I stated and Arjic looked back at me and then smiled and nodded giving me a simple nod before heading out and I turned to Zavala and took the data pad off of him and slid it across the table, Ikora stopping it before it fell off the edge.

“You are coming as well… Cayde told me how much you have been beating yourself up over what has happened and that you’ve been watching that over and over again. I am not going to let you do that to yourself OK… Now, come on. I need you to tell me how Amanda reacted to finding out about us” I chuckled and Ikora glanced over at me and raised a brow, I just smiled back at her and pulled at Zavala’s arm to try and get him to budge.

“Sera, as much as I would love to relax and have a drink with you we need to resolve this situation as soon as possible” he sighed and I just stepped back and looked to Orion and then Neptune… Orion smiling and looking to Neptune. Zavala retrieving his data pad from Ikora.

**Well, I shall see you at some point Neptune… Guess I will be stuck with a mute Ghost and probably Dom as company… I am assuming Luca will be joining us…**

Orion stated and Neptune let out a disappointed sigh causing Ikora to look up at and then glance at Zavala who was still focused on the data pad.

“I am sure the three of you will have a good time without the Commander… Two Hunters with ramen and pretty much an unlimited supply of alcohol and a Warlock to get drunk… What could go wrong?” Ikora stated before looking back to her data pad, Zavala still not budging.

**Luca said he wanted to get Sera drunk as she is known for being a notorious flirt when intoxicated and has taken more than one man home whilst in such a state… Zavala… Go with them or I will tell Cayde we also think we spotted a dragon on Io when we last went and that I bet he couldn’t find it…**

Zavala just let out an exasperated sigh and stood up, turning to look at Orion.

**Sera gives me that same look when she wants to stab me…**


	16. Chapter 16 - So Be It

___________________________________________________________________________  
Zavala – Sera’s Apartment – Half an hour before they are going to meet Arjic  
___________________________________________________________________________

I sat on the sofa whilst Sera finished up in the shower, Orion and Neptune were floating around the apartment, simply looking at things, making the odd statement that I had started to tune out… Today had been a long day and I just wanted to resolve everything that had happened, deal with the new threats and pretend Sera had never stated she wished to end things between us at one point.

“Zavala… You going to answer or just stare at the wall?” A voice suddenly asked and I looked up at Sera, stood there in nothing but a towel and a frown… Something told me things were about to get emotional.

“Sorry… What did you ask?” I asked and Sera looked to the two Ghosts, both now hovering on her left, both looking at me worried. After a moment she looked back to me and took a deep breath.

“Are we OK?” she asked and I took a deep breath and stood up, placing my hands on her hips and pulling her in close to me, her hands coming to rest on my chest as they had done in the hanger, only now there was no armour in our way. The warmth of her body pressed against mine was comforting. “We didn’t really have a chance to talk about things in the hanger… Not that I really gave you a chance to talk” she whispered, looking up at me, her expression one of worry just like the Ghosts.

“Sera… We were both foolish to think your promise was one you would be able to keep easily, if I have learnt anything from the Hunters I have worked with it is that you are adept at getting yourself into trouble and if we continue down the path we are on and we carry on falling in love there may come a time when one of us will get hurt by the loss of the other and that is a scary thought but it is only a thought, it is not guaranteed… But if that thought scares you that much I won’t pressure you and I won’t push you to stay, we have both suffered through our fair share of loss and if you don’t feel you can risk losing another person you care for then I understand… I really do Sera… I just want you to be happy” I replied, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, she was fighting back the tears... Despite what she had said in the hanger, that she was not going to throw this away because of her self-doubt, I felt like that was about to change.

“Zavala… I don’t want to end things between us, but I don’t want to hurt you either. What if I went out there tomorrow and was killed by Jackal? Would the short time we have spent together have been worth it? What if ten years from now I go out there and am killed… Will our time together, will the memories of our time together be enough to make the pain of losing me worth it? Because if the answer is no then this ends here. If I died tomorrow would you feel like having taken this risk was worth it?” Sera asked and I pulled her into a hug, holding her as tightly as I could without hurting her.

“It would be worth it Sera…” I whispered, the two of us standing in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the closeness of the other… It was calming; it allowed me to order my thoughts. One thought that crossed my mind stood out from the others, a thought I should have had as soon as she had told me about the plan to go to Nessus.

“Sera… How did you know they had set up a base on Nessus?” I asked and Sera stood back from me and looked up at me a little confused before answering me.

“Luca played a recording of a decoded message in Eliskni at breakfast yesterday… We know the Fallen have been sending more and more resources to Nessus and they are not that stupid, we would be watching them carefully in the EDZ and Failsafe and other Guardians on Nessus would be keeping a close eye on their activities so going outside of her sensor range would make sense… She couldn’t see them, can’t tell us what they are up to unless they disturb Exodus Black remains and Guardians rarely go out that far… We never intended to go out there after them, we never intended for any of this to happen, just to figure out where they were setting up their new base.” Sera stated, becoming more and more stressed as she spoke, moving away from me and over to the kitchen, pouring herself a shot of the same clear fluid from the other night and downing it, repeating the process and further three times… It seemed, like Cayde, she handled stress poorly and used alcohol to cope to a certain degree.

**OK… You really need to sort out your need to alcohol when you become stressed… Or start avoiding stress. Whichever is easiest…**

Orion commented, vocalising my concerns, Sera responded with a chuckle and slid the glass into the sink, looking to her Ghost and giving him a tired smile. “Can we discuss my relationship with wine and vodka later… I believe Zavala may have more questions” Sera stated as she headed to the bedroom, I followed, leaning in the doorway and watching her start to pull out various items of clothing, carefully looking over each one.

“Where did Luca get the recording from? Unless the factions intercept recordings and decide not to inform us of them all intercepted and decoded recordings go through the Vanguard and we decide if the information needs to be acted upon… Neither I nor Ikora have had any intercepted messages come through of that nature. And Cayde is not idiotic enough to just hand information over to one of his Hunters in the hope they are successful in dealing with the threat uncovered” I stated as Sera seemed to settle on something to wear and begun to dress.

“I don’t know… I didn’t ask, I just assumed he got it from the Vanguard like most do, especially since we had been the ones to raid the hospital” Sera replied, pulling on a pair of jeans and as usual a tank top before moving over to me, placing a hand on my chest and leaning up to kiss me.

“Hmmm… How about I send Luca a message, ask him to join us and you can question him on where he got the message from whilst me and Arjic get drunk and try and forget the horrors of the day without anyone telling us how our chosen method of coping with what has happened is not that great… OK…” She stated as she pulled back from the kiss and went to search for her shoes, I just glanced to Neptune and Orion, Orion looked defeated whilst Neptune looked concerned…

“Sera… Getting drunk is not going to solve anything; Jackal will still be out there killing anyone who crosses his path. We need to determine where that message came from and how to stop Jackal, not pretending none of this has happened and that life will go on as normal” I sighed turning to face her, she was silent for a minute, sat on the sofa staring into thin air.

I suddenly felt a presence at the edge of my mind…

__

_I opened my eyes, Sera had created the link swiftly and I didn’t have much time to get my bearings when I found myself in a cavern slowly filling with water… Sera and Jackal stood facing each other, arc energy bouncing off of the Titan._

_“You need to calm down Jackal, give them time… OK” Sera stated, the Titan nodding back at her, the arc energy starting to dissipate, both Ghosts even started to look calmer._

_“Good… Now we need a plan, a solid plan of what to do if it gets to the point where time is drastically running out. Not some half cocked half baked plan that could get us both killed” Sera commented, looking round the cavern, trying to determine how solid the walls were, if they could get back out the way they came in._

_“Sera… I promise I will get us out of here, get you back home so you can fall in love” Jackal suddenly stated and I was hit with a wave of emotions, guilt, sadness, worry, concern and something I could not pinpoint, something that confused me…_

_Sera just smiled at Jackal and they both started wading round the cavern looking for a way out, though something soon caught their attention… A banging sound from the other side of the cracked wall, both Sera and Jackal stood back, fear washing over me followed by determination._

_Both Jackal and Sera readying themselves, both ready to draw their guns, both ready to fight for their life._

_The determination started to waver, started to break and the fear crawled back… Sera was starting to become visibly nervous, neither could know what was behind the wall… Was it a rescue or was it an attacker? That must have been the main thought at that moment in time._

_After a moment the wall cracked and broke, water flooding in and knocking Sera off her feet, Jackal grabbing her and pulling her up and as soon as she was steady on her feet drawing his gun and firing… Once things steadied and the immense wave of fear and confusion washed away I was aware of a Servitor shielding several Dregs and a Vandal who began shooting at Sera and Jackal who were quickly being forced to try and dodge shot after shot as the cavern quickly flooded._

_Panic soon returned, Sera grabbing Orion and shoving him into her cloak’s hood and tucking it in to the armour at her neck so Orion would not fall out. After another moment water flooded into her helmet and she took one last deep breath, watching as Jackal was wrestling with the Dreg’s and Vandal, being overwhelmed and dragged off, desperation becoming the overwhelming emotion. Panic also coming to the forefront, Jackal did not require oxygen, and the Fallen had their Servitor to shield them from the water, however Sera, Sera had no protection from its advances._

_Suddenly it all went black…_

_It did not stay black for long though… The cavern came back into view, Sera gasping but only drawing water into her lungs, fear, desperation and the wish to be elsewhere rushed through me and as she thrashed in the water, looking round her, panicking but stopping as she released she was alone… There was no one in the cavern with her… Before it went black again she grasped at her hood, relief flooding over her for a moment before once again it went black._

_Once more she came back to life… the same emotions again, though this time the desperation was stronger, fear set in and I could feel Sera giving up… I could feel her final thoughts, see them vaguely… Laughing with a Warlock and Titan I did not recognise, playing cards with Cayde… Jackal and Luca at breakfast with her… Us… I was asleep and she was tracing patterns on my chest, smiling down at me… Then Orion and Neptune came into view, the two laughing and smiling… Orion recording something… Me holding her close, telling her about my day…_

_Then it went black…_

____

I broke the link myself, unable to watch and feel her die again…

“Thirty-three deaths, and with each one I was sure it would be my final death and that terrified me… the thought of never seeing anyone I cared for ever again, the thought of never hearing someone laugh, never hearing Orion’s voice, never hearing your voice, or Cayde’s, never being held by anyone again… Never falling in love with someone who loves me back… And on top of that I was worried about you, about how you’d react to my death. I then began thinking about if entering a relationship with you was worth it if I was to die then… Would I have just caused your more distress than happiness? I then thought well at least we hadn’t fallen in love with each other completely… that was when I decided I couldn’t put you through that… At least I thought I had decided that but then I talked to Cayde… You held me, you kissed me… and I realised I’m fucked, I either leave you and hurt your, or stay and hurt you when I die my final death because I am sure as hell not going to outlive you. For crying out loud… How many times am I going to go over this in my own head tonight? We’ve already talked about it; neither of us is going anywhere… But…” Sera let out a shaky sigh before the sobs started.

I made my way over to her, sitting next to her and wrapping my arms around her, holding her close and stroking her hair… It was the only thing I could think to do. She liked it when I stroked her hair when we were falling asleep in bed together, she had said it was comforting… Hopefully that applied to our current situation.

**Sera, you need to stop torturing yourself over things you cannot control… You could not control the actions of Ghaul or Alexis so could not prevent Alexis’ death; you could not control Phobos allowing him to make the choice to… to do what he did… You cannot control the Fallen or what they do so are in no way responsible for what they have done to Guardians and their Ghosts… Jackal and Hyena included… You cannot control how you or others feel so even if you broke it off with Zavala who said you would not still worry about how your death may impact him?**

“Sera… You do worry way to much about way to many things so come on, let’s go have a few drinks, you and Arjic can enjoy yourselves and I will have a word with Luca” I stated and Sera took a shaky breath in before pulling away from me, wiping her eyes and nodding.

“OK then… Why don’t you go freshen up before we leave and Orion can send Luca a message” I stated, brushing Sera’s hair from her face, her hand coming up to mine and grasping it in her own, pulling it to her chest and just holding it there for a moment before letting my hand go and heading to her bathroom.

**_Well… That was intense._ **

I just looked to Neptune who shrugged at me and turned to Orion who was focusing on something, his shell twisting and turning.

**Message sent, I told Luca to meet us and Arjic at the ramen shop and also told Arjic we were running late due to Sera not being able to decide what to wear.**

I just chuckled and after a moment of slightly awkward silence Sera walked back in, having changed what she was wearing as well, she was now wearing a dress and heels… And she looked stunning… Very beautiful…

“Do we have to go out?” I asked standing up and walking over to her, though she just slipped past me and to the door, a mischievous smirk on her face. 

“Yes we do… Now come on, you need to question Luca and I need to drink with Arjic. Oh, and remember we are keeping us a secret” she stated as she headed out the door and to the elevator and I just sighed, Neptune and Orion following us out.

___________________________________________________________________________  
Sera – The elevator – Fifteen minutes after they were supposed to meet Arjic  
___________________________________________________________________________

The doors closed and I smirked at Zavala, we were alone in the elevator and he had not taken his eyes off of me since I walked out the bedroom… I had not planned on wearing a dress or heels, but then again I hadn’t planned on still being in a relationship. Also Zavala had said me and Arjic should enjoy ourselves, and I intended to drink till I was merry then drag him back to my bedroom and enjoy my the night… Maybe sex could replace the vodka and wine when I got stressed… I doubt Orion would complain about that, maybe the Warlock next door, but not Orion.

“You know you are a tease… It is almost like Hunters enjoy taunting others” Zavala growled pushing me up against the wall of the elevator and pressing his body into mine causing me to gasp, allowing him the opportunity to kiss me, his tongue surveying my mouth and his hands running up my side… God this felt good…

**You two do realise there is a camera in here… and you do not have long till we are at the courtyard…**

Orion commented and Zavala pulled back from me, slightly flushed as I imagine I was and looking down at me obviously wishing we were back in one of our apartments.

**_I don’t think they heard you…_ **

“We heard him…” I breathed running my hands up Zavala’s chest, his hands slipping off my hips and to straighten up his tunic. I removed my hands from his chest to re-position my dress and sort my hair out… When was the last time I had dressed up and gone out? It would have had to have been when I and Alexis were ‘dating’ and that was several months before our argument.

"Well...what do we have here?" A very deep and familiar voice suddenly said. I looked up at Zavala, who let out a silent sigh. He turned around and moved slightly to the side so I could see. Lord Saladin stood there, staring at us with a rather unimpressed expression on his face.

“Lord Saladin… It is good to see you” I muttered, moving across the elevator and slipping past him, the perks of being a small Hunter, I could simply escape small confined spaces where uncomfortable situations were taking place.

“And you… Young Wolf…” Saladin replied and I just looked back at Zavala who was locked into an unending staring contest with Lord Saladin.

“I am surprised to see you engaging in such unprofessional behaviour in a public space Commander” Lord Saladin suddenly commented and Zavala glanced to me then back to Lord Saladin. “Though… It is good to see you have found someone to share your life with” the Iron Lord stated and Zavala smiled slightly at the older Titan.

After a silent moment Lord Saladin entered the lift and Zavala exited allowing us to continue on our way. Zavala a little tense but smiling still none the less.

“So… No more making out in public whilst Lord Saladin is alive” I chuckled and Zavala just gave me a glance that said it all whilst Orion vocalised it.

**Sera, maybe this is one of those things you joke about a few months down the line. Not right after**

I just sighed and looked to Neptune who smiled at me.

**_I think you’re funny and I didn’t think it was too soon, right after seemed appropriate actually_ **

“Considering Neptune would happily be your Ghost I am not in the least bit surprised by him siding with you on this one” Zavala commented as we made our way to the Bazaar, Arjic sat waiting with a half empty pint glass and Luca sat next to him, a bottle in one hand and his throwing knife in the other.

“Ah, Luca… Commander Zavala wanted a few words with you about the message you showed me and Jackal so I invited him along” I said smiling at my fellow Hunter, he just forced a smile whilst I took a seat next to Arjic and ordered myself a beer and some spicy ramen.

“If I had known you were getting all dressed up I would have put on my dressier robes” the Warlock commented and I just smiled at him, taking a few sips of my beer as soon as it was placed in front of me.

**Sera could not decide between a casual look and a look that screams ‘I am in a good physical condition and I am aware of that’**

Both myself and Arjic laughed at Orion’s statement, the little Ghost a little confused but he just let out an annoyed huff and settled by my shoulder, looking round the Bazaar and doing his whole ‘I am not talk to you’ thing that he did with me when he was annoyed at me.

“I am sorry Orion; it was just the way you said it that made me laugh. Please don’t be annoyed at me. I need you” I said to the Ghost, his shell twisting and turning furiously before he turned to me and let out a sigh.

**I forgive you Sera. Though know this, my purpose in life is to keep you alive and aide you in saving humanity from the Darkness. Not to be amusement**

“Of course Orion, now, how about we put that aside for a night and we both enjoy ourselves. It has been a hard few days and I think we both deserve to let our hair down and enjoy ourselves” I said and Orion smiled and nodded.

After a few more minutes of drinking and idle chatter between me and Arjic my ramen was placed in front of me and I smiled, it looks so good and it even had dumplings in it.

“I regret not having dumplings with mine” Arjic sighed and I just laughed as I tucked into my meal, enjoying it and my beer, acutely aware of Arjic’s eyes on my body.

_______________________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Bazaar – Late evening  
_______________________________________________________________

Luca watched as Sera took up a seat next to Arjic, the two striking up a conversation and enjoying their beers together, the Hunter only looking back to me when I let out a cough to get his attention.

“I need to know where you got the recording from” I stated and Luca just looked to his Ghost before looking back to me, he looked a little unsure of why I was asking but answered anyway.

“I got it from Arach Jalaal, he approached me the night before I had breakfast with Jackal and Sera, he said Dead Orbit had intercepted a Fallen communication related to the events that occurred at Trostland Hospital. I thought it was worth checking out” Luca said, shrugging at me.

“And you didn’t feel the need to inform the Vanguard?” I asked, Luca suddenly seemed a little nervous and began to fidget with his knife a little more, twisting it and twirling it round in his hand. I had to admit seeing Hunters use a knife in such a way reminded me of the skill it took to wield one as effectively as they did.

“I just assumed he would have told the Vanguard. I know Sera would most likely have mentioned it to someone. Anyway I didn’t think that they would end up in a situation like they did and I certainly did not think that Jackal would turn against us and murder his fellow Guardians” Luca sighed and I took a deep breath, how could he have been so idiotic?

“You are lucky Serafina did inform me of the plan to go to Nessus and that she is Awoken as her telepathic ability is the only thing that saved her today. And as for assuming that any of the factions would share such information with the Vanguard is simply idiotic” I stated, the Hunter starting to become visibly nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and then back again, avoiding my gaze. Was he hiding something or simply aware of his mistake and now felt responsible for the events that unfolded throughout the day.

“It was idiotic. You’re right” Luca muttered, I took a deep breath and glanced over to Sera, she and Arjic had been joined by a small group of Warlocks, Sera simply smiling and nodding along with their conversation, drinking her beer rather quickly. Hunters and Warlocks were not known to be the closest of friends, often arguing instead of having a friendly discussion.

“Did Arach Jalaal give you any other information on how Dead Orbit came to be in possession of the message?” I asked and Luca shook his head. I doubted he had asked either, not that Arach Jalaal would have given him any other information, he was not the type to share knowledge without something substantial in return.

“Very well. Serafina said you played the message for her and Jackal at breakfast that morning, if you have a copy have your Ghost send it to Cayde. I want to be one hundred percent sure that the translation Dead Orbit provided you with is correct” I said, Luca nodding and looking to his Ghost who nodded at him after a moment.

“OK. Thank you for the information” I said and Luca simply nodded, taking a tentative step back before returning to the bar and ordering a bottle and some food to go, Sera glancing down the bar at him before looking back to the Warlocks stood around her and Arjic.

I stayed where I was for a minute just watching Sera converse with the Warlocks, surprisingly they had not fallen into an argument, however from how they were acting it seemed like their conversation had turned to a lighter topic as they were all laughing and smiling.

After another minute I noticed Sera look up at me and smile, though something or someone caught her attention and she looked to the side and laughed, another beer being passed to her. After such a trying and emotional day it was nice to see her be able to let her hair down and relax. Though I highly doubted that was how she felt under the surface, how much was she masking?

After a few more minutes the group of Warlocks left and Sera and Arjic were left talking to one another, the Warlock not even hiding the fact he was admiring her figure, something the dress certainly did not hide. I sighed and walked over to the two, I may not be able to make it clear to the Warlock that Sera was spoken for but hopefully my presence would stop him staring.

“Serafina, Luca acquired the recording from Arach Jalaal so I will be having words with him tomorrow about the origins of the message” I stated and Sera nodded, smiling at me but then she paused and looked back down the bar but her fellow Hunter was gone.

“Jalaal asked me to get some stuff from Nessus but I told him I wasn’t going to help him because I have pledged my loyalties to the Future War Cult, I never questioned how he knew I would be going to Nessus, and come to think of it… Lakshmi knew I was going and I hadn’t even said anything, she simply told me to be careful as if she knew something would happen” Sera said, suddenly placing her drink back on the bar and making her way out the Bazaar.

**_I believe she may be going to see either Arach Jalaal or Lakshmi-2 to question them on how they knew about Nessus… Should we follow her? She has had a few drinks by the looks of it._ **

I glanced to the bar and there were a few empty bottles and her partly empty bottle that she had been drinking before she left the Bazaar.

“It is probably a good idea, ensure she does not do something Cayde would do” I sighed and nodded to Arjic and followed Sera out of Bazaar, catching up with her as she had entered the courtyard.

“Serafina!” I called and she stopped and turned around, I rarely used her full name when others were not around though I had no idea if anyone else was still around and I also needed to get her attention before she did something stupid.

**_Think you got her attention…_ **

“Where are you going? They will have left the Tower for the evening and even if they had not, you have been drinking and are dressed for a night of drinking and clubbing” I said and she just stared at me for a moment, glancing to Orion momentarily as I walked closer, the Ghost obviously talking to her.

**… Just go back to your apartment, write down your questions and you can confront them WITH Zavala in the morning, see what they have to say for themselves when you are thinking more clearly.**

Orion said and Sera just glanced round and then walked over to meet me, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face in the crook of it; I just wrapped my arms around her and held her close. Part of me no longer caring if anyone knew, if she needed me to hold her I would.

“If she knew what would happen, if she knew what they would do to Jackal I want to know, I want to know why she let it happen” Sera sobbed and I just held her close, it was all I could do right now.

“Sera… Why don’t we go back to your apartment, you can do as Orion stated and then we can just relax” I said and she just nodded and pulled back, wiping her tears away and taking a step back and a deep breath.

“OK… Does sex count as relaxing?” she asked and I just nodded, it was defiantly a way to release tension, and she did look amazing in the dress.

**Just no more alcohol and for crying out loud remember you have a neighbour, though I am pretty sure the Traveller could put in a noise complaint.**

Orion suddenly commented and Sera turned to the Ghost who darted backwards as she went to grab him, she was slower in her heels but not by much though enough that it allowed Orion to move away from her and to a height of safety.

_______________________________________________________________  
Orion – Sera’s apartment – Midnight  
_______________________________________________________________

I settled on my perch looking over Sera and Zavala sleeping, Sera seemed to have settled into a deep sleep which was good to see, it was unusual for her to sleep well. Then again, whenever Zavala stayed over, physical intimacy or not, she slept well for the most part, only two nights and exception to that.

**_Do you ever wonder if we can only resurrect Guardians who we are able to create a bond with?_ **

I glanced to Neptune, he had been looking out at the Traveller but had turned to watch over our Guardians, our best friends, our only hope for humanity and the Traveller’s survival.

**Sometimes, other times I think we only resurrect Guardians who will challenge us because that forces us to think outside of the box and on our feet so to say. That way we can overcome more challenges and push the Darkness back further.**

I shifted slightly and found myself smiling as Sera rolled over and cuddled into Zavala, Zavala himself then moving to be able to drape and arm over her and move closer to her… Sera hogging the quilt as usual. Even when she slept alone she wrapped herself up in the majority of the quilt.

**_I like that, I think you and Sera are a good example, she seems very impulsive, letting her emotions factor into what she does despite also being tactical about her actions when on a mission forcing you to think on your feet and find solutions outside of the box._ **

I simply nodded; observing the two sleeping Guardians, Sera was smiling.

 **I am glad she listened to Cayde**  
**_I am glad Zavala did as well  
_ Who knew he was a good matchmaker**  
****_Who knew he would have such paternal instincts for a chicken_

I smiled and let out a quiet laugh, ensuring I was not too loud in case I woke either of the sleeping Awoken.

**_She makes him happy though, even if he does fear her loss he is falling in love more and more with her everyday it would seem_ **

I looked to the male Awoken cuddled up to Sera, he made her look tiny and he was on the small side for a Titan, I imagine she would look absolutely miniscule next to Lord Shaxx…

**He makes her happy as well; I think she just fears being used again. But Zavala is different, she smiles more around him, laughs more, sleeps more, she is even louder in bed, then again from what I remember her telling Phobos, Alexis was better at the one-hundred meter sprint that the marathon**

Neptune looked to me a little shocked at my comment but I just shrugged, I know you were not supposed to speak ill of the dead but he hurt my Guardian, he hurt my best friend and seeing how much more lively she was around Zavala despite all she had been through recently… It brought how happy she had really been with Alexis into perspective. I simply wanted a happy purple Hunter and if sniper rifles and Zavala made her happy then so be it.


	17. Chapter 17 - Running Out Of Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Lord Saladin knows, does he know to keep his mouth shut? Probably. But what has the scan uncovered if anything.

_______________________________________________________________  
Zavala – Sera’s apartment – Six in the morning  
_______________________________________________________________

I sat on the sofa drinking my tea, Sera was still asleep and I didn’t have the heart to wake her knowing how little she slept at times.

**_Zavala, you have a message from Lord Saladin, he wishes for you to meet him in the courtyard as soon as you are available._ **

I looked up to Neptune and nodded, once I had finished my cup of tea I would make my way up to the courtyard, hopefully he didn’t want to talk about last night, though there was no other reason for him to ask me to meet him. Not unless Shaxx had gone and done something stupid to annoy the Iron Lord, something I would not put past him with their history and how Shaxx handles confrontation.

**_Are you going to wake Sera and let her know you have to leave?_ **

I glanced to the bedroom door, I had closed it so any noise I made would not disturb the sleeping Hunter. Orion had made comments about how little sleep she had in the past and as a result I did my best not to wake her when I woke up before her, letting her sleep as long as possible but she had always been awake when I had to leave.

“If she has not woken up by then” I commented taking another sip of my tea, after speaking to Lord Saladin I would have to seek out Arach Jalaal, question him as to where he obtained the intercepted Fallen message from and why he did not alter the Vanguard. Though I doubted he would give up such information without something in return, and knowing him it would not be a small something.

**_Hmmm. It sounds like she is awake_ **

Neptune suddenly commented and I heard the sound of bare feet on a wooden floor and a moment later the bedroom door opened and Sera and Orion entered the living room, Sera smiling at me and making her way to the kitchen, the sound of running water and the flick of the switch on the kettle filled the silence.

“What are your plans for the morning?” I enquired as Sera lent over the back of the sofa and placed a kiss on my cheek before moving back to the kitchen, the sounds of the cupboards opening and mugs clinking together let me know she was making herself a coffee and most likely still half asleep.

“Coffee, food and then see Lakshmi, probably have to sell my soul to her before she tells me what she knows” Sera said moving round the kitchen, the fridge and cupboards opening and closing as she started to make herself something to eat as well as her morning coffee.

**If she isn’t going to tell you without asking for something in return why not let one of the Vanguard approach her? She will have less sway over them. Especially as you told her you would not act as her spy**

Orion stated, I looked to the Ghost and then Sera who was going about making herself an omelette by the looks of it, not even acknowledging what Orion had just said.

“She asked you to be her spy? Who exactly did she want you to spy on?” I asked and Sera let out a tired sigh, turning to face me whilst she waited for the kettle to finish boiling and the pan on the hob to heat up.

“She wanted me to spy on the Vanguard, find out your stances on subjects important to the Consensus and report back to her, she would then use the information to gain favour amongst the three of you. I told her I didn’t feel comfortable doing that and she accepted that and just asked me about the raid on the hospital instead” she said before turning back around and continuing to make her breakfast.

“When did she ask you to do that?” I asked and Sera glanced over her shoulder and shrugged, Orion answering for her instead.

**Not long after the two of you entered into a relationship. Sera not wishing to jeopardise that or her respect amongst the Vanguard and other Guardians refused to aid her in such a way simply stating it would be something she would be uncomfortable doing. Something Lakshmi accepted without any questions.**

“Look, don’t worry about what she asks me to do, if I am not comfortable doing something I don’t do it, she is well aware she cannot make any of the Guardians who have pledged their loyalties to the FWC do anything they don’t want to, it is how she has gained such power I think, asking some of us to do things we are simply not comfortable with and then asking for information that is an easy alternative, allowing her to either collect information and dirt on others or confirm or put rumours to bed” Sera added, pouring the boiling water from the kettle into a mug and stirring it until she was happy the coffee and sugar had dissolved.

“Very well… Anyway, I have to go, Lord Saladin wants to speak to me” I said and Sera looked over to me, trying to suppress a smirk but failing.

“Either your old mentor has a few words of wisdom for you or Shaxx did something really stupid” she said, I guess Shaxx’s dislike for the Iron Lord was not something he hid as well as he thought he did, that or he had told Sera the story at some point, well, his version.

“Anyway, I shall be speaking with Arach Jalaal afterwards so please don’t go saying anything to him or Lakshmi-2 till I have been able to have a word with him, I don’t want him on edge when I speak to him” I sighed, standing and walking over to her, placing my mug in the sink and placing a kiss on her temple as she poured her eggs into the hot pan, and starting on her breakfast. As usual her coffee smelt extremely strong, maybe that was why she never slept, the amount of caffeine and sugar in her system prevented her from doing so.

“OK. I will have my breakfast and then speak to Cayde, see if he uncovered anything whilst looking over that scan” Sera said and I smiled, hopefully she could stay out of trouble for the morning.

“Very well, I shall see you later” I replied before heading out the apartment and up to the courtyard, locating Lord Saladin easily enough, he was stood where I usually was, waiting patiently.

**_Well, he doesn’t look angry and Shaxx isn’t glaring over at him so I think he may just want a chat_ **

I just nodded at Neptune’s comment and made my way over to him, joining him in looking out over the city and up at the Traveller.

“How long have you been seeing the Hunter?” he asked, I guess Shaxx had behaved himself so far at least.

“Five days” I replied, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he glanced to me and then looked back out over the city.

“I remember the early days of my relationship with Lady Jolder, seeking out that physical contact, wanting to be around them, see their smile and hear their laugh. Though once you realise that we are not immortal, that we can lose our lives, and that we can lose them, things change. Something I am sure yesterday put into perspective for you” he said. He had rarely spoken about Lady Jolder or any of the other deceased Iron Lords for that matter, only when recounting old memories or teaching those under his tutelage a lesson would he refer to them.

“It did indeed. It is something we talked about, Sera’s worries almost getting the better of her. She is aware that if one of us is to die it is likely to be her, after all, she has a tendency to run head first into danger, thinking about the consequences once she has defeated the threat despite the fact she thinks she is tactical about things, be it a Hive God, the Fallen imbued with the power of SIVA or the Red Legion’s forces” I said, Lord Saladin nodding.

“She is a skilled fighter, the fact she has taken on the Black Garden, two Hive Gods, SIVA and the Red Legion and lived to tell the tale is proof of that. However, even the most skilled of fighters have fallen in combat, the Iron Lords, the Guardians lost in the Great Disaster, Andal Brask. All of whom made the mistake of underestimating their enemy, respect your foes and their capabilities and you may live as long as I have. Something I feel Serafina does for the most part, she knows desperation can drive an individual or group to do things you did not thing them capable of or to unleash weapons you had no idea they possessed” Lord Saladin said and I nodded, Sera maybe brash at times and willing to run head first into a dangerous and unpredictable situation, but she did know her enemies, she knew their weakness’ and strengths, she knew how they fought and what threw them off balance, she was also smart enough to know when to retreat.

“She is a smart woman; she can however let her emotions drive her reactions. That is what I fear will be her downfall, that or the Vanguard will ask her to handle a threat and it will be too much for her and her Fireteam” I replied, Lord Saladin took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly, looking up at the Traveller in silence for a moment.

“I cannot tell you how your relationship will unfold, how it will come to its end if it does end or how long you will have together, but I can tell you this, if she makes you happy and you make her happy then you will only make each other stronger, even when you feel weakest their presence or their memory will make you feel stronger” he said and I smiled and nodded.

“Thank you” I replied, not wanting to say anymore, not wanting to risk him bringing up last night, there were very few things that embarrassed me, that had made the list.

“Also, as I have not heard Shaxx shouting about it I am assuming the two of you are keeping it a secret for now” the Iron Lorded added and I nodded, though it wasn’t that much of a secret at the minute.

“Though Cayde and Ikora are aware of the relationship, as is Shaxx and yourself, Amanda Holliday also knows as does Devrim Kay” I said and Lord Saladin looked to me for a moment before turning to head back to his designated area in the Tower.  

“Well, if you can keep your hands off of her in the elevator maybe you can keep it so we are the only ones who know for now” he said before walking off and I simply sighed and looked out over the city.

**_That went well_ **

“Yes it did, now before it gets too busy we should speak to Arach Jalaal, see what information he is willing to part with” I said, Neptune nodding, following me through the courtyard and into the hanger.

_______________________________________________________________  
Flux-12 – Nessus – Well of Giants  
_______________________________________________________________

“Damn it Cap, where did the others go?” I asked my Ghost, three of us had come to Nessus to check on Failsafe and do a quick patrol of the areas within her sensor range just in case the Fallen and their new pet Guardian planned on trying some funny business.

**_ I don’t know; let’s just stay low and hidden in case that Guardian is around here _ **

I simply nodded, ducking from behind one piece of cover to the next, it was quiet and that unsettled me, there were usually some Vex or Fallen in the area yet it was as if it had been abandoned, not a single one in sight and nothing on the radar.

“You stop to take care of a leak and end up all alone with a psycho Guardian on the prowl and your Fireteam seemingly observing radio silence” I muttered, darting out from behind a pillar and darting behind a rock. Cap staying close by my side, watching my back for me, I was not taking any chances stuck here on my own.

**_ I told you it could wait but you didn’t listen to me _ **

“Just try and get hold of them again. They cannot have gotten far” I whispered, peeking out from behind the rock and darting back into cover as I noticed a figure stood on the opposite side of the cavern, their back to me but still unmistakably a Titan. I had arrived on Nessus with another Hunter and a Warlock and as far as I was aware no other Fireteam was on this cursed rock.

I grabbed Cap and pulled him close, putting a finger to my lips to let him know to stay silent, his expression changing to one of fear, and rightly so, what the Titan was capable of doing had struck fear into all Guardians charged with or who had volunteered to patrol Nessus to keep Failsafe secure. I had just prayed that we did not run into him cursing the day I met Maverick and that damned Huntress. Why did Kari have to volunteer us for this? That woman had no sense of danger at all, never took a second to think things through, I always knew it would get us in trouble and it had.

I just sat in silence with Cap, both of us sitting and waiting to see if he found us and ended our lives. I was terrified; literally scared for my life but there was also an odd sensation of feeling calm. I guess knowing there were only three ways this could end allowed me to order my thoughts, plan for the two I made it out alive and the one where I didn’t.

“FLUX! FLUX! YOU THERE! HE GOT KARI! FLUX! PLEASE TELL ME HE DIDN'T GET YOU TOO!” a voice suddenly called… Maverick. Oh god, if he was spotted he’d be slaughtered, he had to be the slowest Warlock I knew, he couldn’t outrun a dead Thrall if he tried.

“NO! MAVERICK RUN! GET OUT OF HERE! GO TO ORBIT NOW!” I yelled, jumping out from behind my cover, firing into the Titan, still stood where I last saw him. Panic was the overriding feeling right now, but it was accompanied by determination to at least ensure Maverick got out of here alive.

Despite not being renowned for their speed the Titan was upon me in seconds, a hand around my throat, staring into my face, I kept my finger on the trigger, the bullets spraying into him until the clip emptied. More shots hitting him from behind, Maverick was approaching him firing angrily into his back.

I could hear his screaming just about, however the overriding sound was that of my armour and body being crushed. I didn’t have long before he would break my neck and all the circuitry in it leaving me just a shell to be revived by my Ghost if he didn’t murder Cap before he could revive me.

I didn’t have many options; my knife was the last one. I reached for it, drew it and went to drive it into his neck, planning on wriggling it around in there till his circuitry was a mess but he was quicker than me… How! He had my wrist in his hand, he had twisted it forcing fingers to open and the knife to hit the floor.

The clattering sound followed by a sharp cracking sound…

_______________________________________________________________  
Maverick-5 – Nessus – Well of Giants  
_______________________________________________________________

Flux dropped to the floor, Cap materialising to revive him but before he could even begin the process that bastard Titan unsheathed a blade, the crackling of the arc energy running along its length audible, and he sliced through Cap, the Ghost letting out a shocked squeal before falling silent, clattering to the floor in two halves…

I didn’t have time to blink before his blade was through my chest, my Ghost, Chaos, let out a pained screen as the arc energy jumped from me to him, it was coursing through my body, it felt like it was drawing something out… I wasn’t just losing my life… This sensation, I had felt it before. It was taking my light!

_______________________________________________________________  
Cayde – The Tower – Late morning  
_______________________________________________________________

Cayde, we have a report coming in from Failsafe that the Fireteam sent to patrol Nessus this morning has been wiped out. 

I sighed, venting the air from my mouth plate, Ace coming to float in front of me.

Are you alright Cayde?

“Yeah, it is just infuriating, I cannot make heads or tails of this damned Eliskni code that could help us stop these deaths occurring… I just hope Ikora has had better luck than I am having” I said, Ace nodding and looking down at the data pad in my hand.

I had spent all night going over the scan, every line of code, every bit of information, every little note the Ghost who took the scan made before they met their end and it had yielded nothing.

Why don’t you look at that message Luca sent you, apparently Commander Zavala wants to be sure that it says what Dead Orbit says it does. If it doesn’t it almost got a good Guardian killed and one turned into the Fallen’s puppet, however if it does, well, Dead Orbit still should have informed the Vanguard. 

“Yeah, that might be a good idea. Save my poor little eyes, don’t want to damage them staring at a screen too long” I commented and had Ace ready the recording to play.

You know that only applies to biological organisms. You cannot damage your eyes in that manner. 

“Just play the recording a few times for me, let’s see if my Eliskni is still as good as it was when I last had to put it to use” I said, Ace nodded and played the recording for me, after the fifth time I put a hand up and he stopped it, watching me intently as he always did, then again, who wouldn’t? I was amazing.

“They do mention Nessus, but nothing about moving to Nessus, they are on about an already established base, about moving from there to another site at an undisclosed location. Probably aware we would not leave it at emptying out that hospital; we would hunt them down and put an end to their twisted experiments, just as we had done when they were using the Hive and SIVA for this sort of thing” I said and Ace simply nodded, probably stunned into silence by my genius.

“Where is Zavala? He will want to hear this” I said and Ace looked up for a second but before he could inform me of where our most esteemed commander was I was aware of a presence beside me and I glanced to my left.

“Please don’t tell me you climbed round the outside of the Tower to get here because Zavala will have kittens if he ever found out you do that” I chuckled; Sera simply smirked at me before moving so she was stood in front of me, her purple eyes glistening as usual, then again, when did an Awokens’ eyes not glow or glisten?

“You find anything in that scan?” she asked and I glanced down at the data pad then back to Sera, shaking my head and she let out a disappointed sigh.

**Maybe Ikora had better luck; you’ve yet to see her this morning**

“Hopefully, then again she has to sleep, I don’t, so I have no idea how much of this she looked over” I sighed, Sera looking to me and giving me a half hearted smile. Still didn’t get what all the fuss was about, it was a smile… Shaxx had said Zavala was crazy for her smile. Couldn’t see why, my smile was much more charming. Then again, she wasn’t exactly her usual bubbly and exuberant self.

“So, how are things with you and your big blue Titan?” I asked and she chuckled, glancing round to ensure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation.  

“Lord Saladin and Holliday now know, both caught us with our lips locked. I found the whole thing with Saladin catching us funny, don’t think Zavala did but oh well, Titan’s don’t have the best sense of humour. Guess that makes me the funny one in the relationship” Sera said, her expression becoming a thoughtful one.

**I wouldn’t say you are the funny one. I really wouldn’t, your idea of fun is annoying a Cabal Phalanx into trying to whack you with his shield and then dodging and knifing him in the back.**

“Wait, that isn’t fun? I would call that fun” I replied and Orion and Ace both looked at me with dumbfounded expressions whilst Sera laughed and nodded.

You two have issues. Deep seated issues. 

“Not a lie but not necessarily a bad thing” Sera replied and I nodded, glancing past her as Zavala left the FWC office, Sera following me gaze to the Awoken Titan and looking back to me.

“I will catch up with you later; I need to have words with Lakshmi. If I never come out again, assume she glared at me and I dissolved or something” Sera said and I nodded, watching her turn her back to me and head towards the FWC officers, Zavala stopping her on the steps.

What do you think they are talking about?

“Not a clue Ace” I muttered looking back down at my data pad, there had to be something in the scan that gave away what the Fallen were up to and what they had done to Jackal. If there wasn’t we would just have to keep going after him with supers and snipers and hope one day he didn’t get back up like nothing happened.

“Cayde… Did you manage to translate the recording I had Luca send you?” a voice asked and I glanced up to see Zavala stood there, no Sera in sight, though she was probably asking Lakshmi twenty questions.

“Yes I did, Dead Orbits translation was not spot on but to be honest I don’t think they lied to Luca about what it said, I think they just mistranslated it. It was not about moving to Nessus but from Nessus to an undisclosed location, to be honest an easy mistake to make. Not many people are able to understand Eliskni, and even then I am a bit rusty myself” I said and Zavala simply nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the FWC offices.

“Get any information from the scariest Exo alive?” I asked and he looked back to me, a little unsure of what I had asked for a moment before realising I was on about Lakshmi and shaking his head.

**_She wouldn’t tell him a single thing, said she didn’t know what he was on about. Arach Jalaal did though, he told you that he could not guarantee the translation was correct but due to the events that had unfolded it was a good thing they went to Nessus. He then said he knew Sera was heading to Nessus due to the fact Luca had told him that she and Jackal would be going to check it out and he simply required some scans of Exodus Black._ **

“I am surprised you got that much out of him, not surprised at Lakshmi’s unwillingness to provide you with any information though” I said and Zavala sighed.

“I am not either, Sera is going to have a word with her though, says she may have a little more sway than me and Orion give her credit for, not sure what she means by that but we shall see” he replied and I nodded, Sera was an important player in the Future War Cult so she may know things that others don’t and that Lakshmi does not want others to know.

“Hopefully… I am still looking over that scan of Jackal, but a code written in Eliskni does not make as much sense as spoken Eliskni so we may be relying on Ikora with this one. Or if I can translate this mess of words maybe someone can work out what the code means, which is if code even translates like that… I don’t know. Running out of ideas here buddy” I said, once more venting the air from my mouth piece in a sigh.


	18. Chapter 18 - By Your Side

__________________________________________________  
Sera – The Tower – FWC Offices  
__________________________________________________

**It is happening sooner than I thought it would. Be careful on Nessus tomorrow, a desperate enemy is not one to be underestimated**

“Those were your words Lakshmi! What exactly is happening sooner than you thought? Because if you knew what would happen to me and Jackal on Nessus we are going to have issues” I snapped at the Exo sat at the other end of the room, none of her other followers sat in the room thankfully, I doubt I would have been as confident to snap at her if anyone else had been here.

Lakshmi just stared at me for a moment before bringing her hands down from the screens and placing them in her lap, the screens vanishing so we had an unobstructed view of one another.

“Serafina, if I had known what would have happened to yourself and Jackal I would have informed you, I would not have let him be turned against up and go on to murder ten other Guardians” Lakshmi replied and I paused and looked at her… Ten? He had killed seven on Nessus the day it happened, when had he killed the other three?

“He wiped out a fireteam this morning; they were patrolling Nessus to help ensure Failsafe’s safety. If I had known what the Fallen would have done to him I would have intervened, the city and Guardian Order have taken hit after hit after hit, we cannot afford to lose anymore Guardians, anymore skilled people to our enemies. I am not a heartless robot Serafina, and nor would I let my political motives stop me from sharing information that would save lives” Lakshmi said and I took a deep breath. I was letting last night cloud my mind still, letting the anger I felt then dictate how I acted around a woman who had never lied to me and whose best interest it was to keep me on her side. Lying to me about her knowledge of what happened on Nessus would not be worth it, if I found out it would not only impact my trust in her but the Vanguards and the other factions… That was if they trusted each other at all anyway.

“What did you mean by it was happening sooner than you thought? What is happening Lakshmi? Because chances are it will be my ass in the firing line, my life on the line and that of my fireteam” I stated, Lakshmi looked at me for a moment, studying me carefully before her gaze shifted to Orion.

“I will tell you and you only. Your Ghost waits outside” she said and I looked to Orion, he looked shocked and slightly angry.

**I am HER Ghost! I will be out there with her; my life will be on that line too!**

“I am well aware of that, but I still wish to speak to Serafina in complete privacy” Lakshmi said and I took a deep breath and nodded at Lakshmi, Orion staring at me concerned for a moment.

“Go see Cayde, see if you can help him decipher that Fallen code” I said, Orion silently pleading with me to not do this, to not send him away but I had to know what Lakshmi knew, I had to know what form our next foe would take. After a minute Orion seemed to accept this was happening and made his way out the room and I looked back to Lakshmi who gestured for me to take a seat.

This was going to be interesting.

__________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower, Hanger Bay  
__________________________________________________

I stood waiting for Cayde to return with his chicken, he had taught it to fetch items for him, however after having it fetch an oily rag from Holliday’s work bench it had ran off causing Cayde to chase after it, yelling back at me to stay put as he had something important to ask me. I doubted it was that important but in case it was it was best I waited.

**_Oh, Orion… Where is Sera?_ **

Neptune’s suddenly question made me look round to the lone Ghost floating over to where I was stood, the position of his shell and the light of his little eye telling me he was annoyed, though why was not so obvious, neither was why he was not by Sera’s side.

**Lakshmi wanted to talk to Sera privately. Turns out an Exo, an Awoken and a Ghost is a crowd**

He said and I looked up to the Future War Cult offices, it was impossible to see inside of them from the hanger. What could Sera have possibly asked or said that made the Exo more likely to speak to her than me?

**_Sounds like a bad joke… An Exo, Awoken and Ghost walk into a bar_ **

“Neptune, that is not helping” I sighed, my Ghost shrugging his shell before going back to looking round the hanger, seemingly uninterested with what was going on within the FWC offices.

**I don’t like this one bit, what could she possibly be telling her that she would not tell me?**

“I don’t know Orion, though I doubt Sera will keep it from you if it is important” I said and Orion pulled a face before looking back to the offices.

**She keeps plenty of secrets, this isn’t the first time I have not been with her when Lakshmi has been around and I doubt it will be the last.**

I just looked to the Ghost; he seemed pretty certain Sera kept things from him and had done so on the request of Lakshmi, potentially on the request of others as well. Though I could understand if she had done, I had kept things from Neptune to make things easier on him or simply because I did not feel he needed to know. If you could look past the fact you were deceiving your Ghost and they were your constant companion then at times it was easy due to it being necessary to protect them.

**_Zavala keeps secrets too. He thinks I don’t know, but I do know. I know a lot of things_ **

I just ignored Neptune, he was a smart Ghost, he knew I kept secrets but I highly doubted he knew as many of them as he thought he did.

“CAUGHT HIM! I CAUGHT HIM!” Cayde suddenly called, running back over with his chicken tucked under his arms, the chicken looking less than impressed at its situation. Cayde sauntered round me and the Ghosts, putting the chicken down on his little desk before turning back to me and frowning.

“Where is Sera?” he asked and Orion looked back at the Future War Cult offices and Cayde let out a noise of acknowledgement before grabbing his data pad and going back to looking at the scan of Jackal.

“So, the important thing you wanted to ask me?” I asked as Cayde seemed to have clearly forgotten about it.

“Oh! Yes. Sera’s re-birthday is coming up and I know she doesn’t like people making a big fuss about it but I wanted to do something for her and I knew you would and… Why are you shaking your head at me Orion?” Cayde trailed off and I looked to the Ghost who let out a very fed up sigh and looked to me.

**Cayde never said that, you have no idea her re-birthday is approaching and you shall not do anything for her. She may kill you if you do. And she will kill you if you tell him the exact date Cayde. You know she hates it when we try and do anything for her on her re-birth day.**

“Well I would have thought she would have at least told her bed partner” Cayde huffed before looking back to his data pad and I looked to Orion who let out yet another sigh before turning back to stare at the faction offices, clearly eager for Sera to reappear.

 **_Are you going to do something for her re-birthday still Cayde?  
_ ** Of course he is, he has done every year and she has simply glared at him every year and taken the present with a silent thank you and a vocal ‘don’t do this next year’ before walking off

“It is a tradition, and Hunters do not break from tradition, something you all should have learnt by now” Cayde commented and I nodded, Hunters were almost as big on tradition as Titans were, however their traditions were extremely different and were not often based in history, honour or respect like Titans were.

**Oh! Sera! Finally!**

__________________________________________________  
Arjic – Outside Sera’s apartment – Lunch time  
__________________________________________________

I sighed and looked to Ansel who just shrugged before looking down the hallway, no sign of Sera; she must have headed out somewhere though I had been unable to locate her in the tower.

“She left a few hours ago, hasn’t come back as far as I am aware… You the partner?” a voice asked and I turned to see another Warlock walking towards me, a bag full of groceries tucked under one arm, some fruit threatening to spill out.

“Oh… No, I am not her partner, I wasn’t even aware she had one” I commented and my fellow Warlock simply chuckled as he opened his apartment door, leaning in and placing the bag down on a surface inside the apartment before moving to lean against the wall between the two apartments.

“I wasn’t until the other night; all the apartments on this floor have their bedrooms on the right side of the apartment meaning they share a wall with the neighbouring apartment’s kitchen, well apart from Sera’s, she has the end apartment so has an amazing view of the traveller. Anyway, I woke to the sound of a very pleased sounding Hunter being pleasured by someone. Never caught a name but whoever he or she was they were certainly doing a good job by the sounds of it” he said and I simply nodded. How was I supposed to respond to that?

“If you need to speak to her urgently you could always get your Ghost to send Orion a message” they suddenly said, breaking what was fast becoming an uncomfortably long and awkward silence.

“It isn’t important; I had just wanted to see how she was doing after recent events” I replied and he simply nodded, pushing himself off the wall and moving to head back into his own apartment. “Thanks for your help anyway... Urmmm… I don’t know your name” I chuckled, finding myself rubbing the back of my head and actually feeling nervous… Why was I feeling nervous?

“I am Phoenix, and you are?” he asked and I smiled and held a hand out for him to shake which he did.

“Arjic, nice to meet you” I said and Phoenix smiled, letting go of my hand and slipping into his apartment.

“Well Arjic, if you find yourself round this way again don’t be a stranger, now if you’ll excuse me I have lunch to make and books to read” Phoenix said and I simply nodded at him as he shut the door. Ansel making some odd sounds and I just sighed as we headed to the elevator.

“I am not just going to jump into bed with him because Sera already has at the very least a beneficial agreement with another individual regarding sex. I am going to pursue a relationship with her and only cease doing so when she informs me she is not single or not interested… Then… We’ll see” I said and Ansel just made a long and low beeping noise as we entered the elevator, the Ghost of the Titan currently stood in the lift moving slightly away from us. Ansel’s shell moving as if he was laughing. He was a troublesome little Ghost, even more so now he couldn’t actually speak.

____________________________________________________________  
Orion – Courtyard with Sera and Lord Shaxx – Just past lunch  
____________________________________________________________

“… So then the doors open and all we hear his him saying ‘Well, what do we have here’ and I was pretty sure Zavala turned a shade bluer” Sera laughed, doing an absolutely shocking impression of Lord Saladin causing Shaxx to let out a roar of laughter.

I just glanced round as the two continued their conversation, Sera only having started it to derail the conversation I was trying to start with her about what Lakshmi had said to her once I had left the room. The Tower was pretty empty annoyingly, the only reason she could have the conversation she was having instead of talking with me. She would never talk too openly about such events if others were around to potentially overhear them.

“You should come drinking with me one night, there is a bar in the city I like, have an area set up for Hunters to play their little games so they don’t end up putting a knife in a non-guardian’s head” Shaxx suddenly said and I looked to Sera whose face lit up like that Christmas Tree Cayde set up last year when it started to drop cold and the snow came.

**Sera does love playing games, especially if it involves knives**

“I thought all games Hunters played involved knives” Lord Shaxx mused and Sera chuckled, shaking her head.

**Some involve guns, others involve the misuse of super abilities whilst some involve running round rooftops drunk trying not to be the first to fall off.**

“So, not all involve knives but all involve someone being drunken enough to agree to it in the first place. Or just being crazy enough like you and Cayde” Lord Shaxx said and Sera nodded, not denying any of what the Titan had just said.

“Basically, that or a drunken Titan to agree to join in… Warlocks tend not to get that drunk so usually decline the offer to join in with our shenanigans” Sera replied, the Titan chuckling at her comment… Even his chuckles were loud.

**Sera… You know you can’t put of our conversation forever**

My sudden comment caused Sera to sigh and the Titan stood in front of her to tilt his head slightly to the side, most likely waiting to see what my Hunter’s response would be. Neither of us having to wait too long to discover what it would be.

“We are not having this discussion, at least not right now Orion so I suggest you drop the subject for now” Sera sighed, Lord Shaxx not saying anything more whilst I just studied Sera carefully, she did not look best pleased with my comment, or me for that matter. Oh well, she shouldn’t keep secrets from me then.

“Anyway, I will catch you later, organise that drink. Though right now I need to go see Ikora” Sera sighed, smiling at Lord Shaxx who nodded and Sera nodded back and headed off towards the Bazaar, I just sighed and followed suit, not like I could run off in protest.

__________________________________________________  
Zavala – Sera’s apartment – Late evening  
__________________________________________________

I sat on the sofa in silence whilst Sera had a bath, Orion floating in the bathroom doorway yelling at Sera who seemed to be ignoring the little Ghost, the little and very annoyed Ghost.

**DON’T DO THAT! You can’t keep your head under the water forever Sera! You’ll drown! AGAIN! WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE A CHILD! SERIOUSLY! JUST TELL ME WHAT SHE SAID!**

“Orion, I don’t think she is going to tell you” I muttered earning myself a sharp glare from the little Ghost before he went back to yelling at Sera, still being ignored.

**_I don’t think tonight is going to be a very good night. Can’t we just go back to our apartment and relax in peace and quiet?_ **

I sighed and shook my head, Sera had asked me to come and see her for a reason, and from what she had told me Ikora and Cayde would be joining us shortly, I imagine she would shed light on the subject then, though I doubt Orion had the patience to wait until then.

**WE ARE A TEAM! WE SHARE EVERYTHING! DON’T YOU TRUST ME SERA! SERA! SERAFINA!**

I stood up and walked over to the bathroom door, Orion moving as I did so, allowing me to lean against the door frame and look into the bathroom, Sera sat in the bath, her eyes closed and body relaxed. She was good at blocking others out, I doubt I would have been able to ignore all of Orion’s yelling and shouting even with all the years of practice ignoring Cayde’s.

“Orion, when is her re-birth day? If you don’t tell me I will simply ask Master Rahool if the records we have on Sera survived the attack” I stated, the Ghost looking to me, a little shocked but wary.

**Ask Master Rahool then, or Cayde, that blabber mouth will probably tell you**

“He better not, I don’t want anyone making a fuss OK… It is bad enough Cayde knows it, I don’t need anyone else knowing and doing stuff for it” Sera said as she rose from the bath, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her body. Orion turned and looked at the Hunter carefully, allowing her to move into the bedroom and dress in peace before he once again began to badger her.

**I care about you Sera; I want to know what she said! I want to know if there is something I need to be on the lookout for or if there is anything I can do to help.**

“I know Orion, now if you’ll have a little patience we have guests coming so I best dig out the Exo booze and my good wine” Sera stated as she moved into the kitchen and started to rummage through the cupboards.

“Sera, any chance of a heads up on what you have to say?” I asked, watching her move about the kitchen, places bottles on the work top before fishing several glasses out of the cupboard, one of them a shot glass that she filled before downing the contents.

“How much do you know about the assets the FWC control?” Sera asked, leaning against the counter and looking at the wall, her expression unreadable and her body language tense.

“I know about the device, I know where they got it from, what it is used for, however I do not know where they keep it or who has used it” I replied, Sera letting out a shaky breath as she moved to stand upright.

“Well, by all accounts the Fallen are building a weapon, one that can turn Exo Guardians against their fellow Human and Awoken Guardians, it started with tests on Ghosts as we have seen but when that failed, when they failed to harness our own powers to use against us they decided to try just turning us against each other and they had some success. I don’t know the details, I don’t think Lakshmi does either, but the bottom line is they are currently capable of turning abducted Exo’s against their own one by one, but their goal is to be able to do it on a much larger scale, not have to take parts out and put parts in” Sera stated, clearly angry at the Fallen, angry at what they had done to Jackal.

“Worst part is it cannot be reversed…” She then added, I took a deep breath in and held it a moment, what could I say right now to comfort her? What could I say to help her deal with what that meant? Could I say anything helpful or useful to her in response?

**So, Jackal and Hyena… They… They are gone**

Orion muttered and Sera turned to her Ghost, nodding, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, I doubt it would take much to cause them to break free and for the sobs to start.

**You are going to make them pay… Going to make them regret every decision they ever made and you are going to kill them all. And you are going to make Jackal proud.**

Orion’s words did the trick, tears started to flow down her cheeks and a sob escaped her lips, I moved towards her, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close, holding her tight. How could one person lose so much so quickly? Either Sera was extremely unlucky or the universe was conspiring against her, allowing her small tastes of hope before violently taking that hope away and replacing it with the bitter taste of loss.

**_I wish Ghosts were more huggable, we are really the wrong shape and size to be huggable_ **

I heard Sera chuckle against my chest, her body shaking slightly as she did so. At least in what were dark times for her she could laugh, even if it was only at the silly comments of a Ghost.

**Sera… I’ll be by your side the whole time; you won’t have to do this alone**


	19. Chapter 19 - What Is It Hunter?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now with a plan in place it is time to get down to business..... To defeat the Huns!!!! (I could not resist)

____________________________________________________________  
Ikora – Outside Sera’s apartment with Cayde and the Chicken  
____________________________________________________________

I knocked on the apartment door, Cayde stood behind me trying to keep hold of the chicken currently trying to make its great escape.

“I suggest keeping a tight hold of your pet. I doubt Sera will want it running free around her apartment” I sighed and Cayde just chuckled, probably imaging his feathered friend on the loose. I doubt he would be chuckling if Sera decided to use her knife skills to stop it.

After a moment the door opened and Sera was stood there, a glass of a clear liquid in her hands that she downed upon seeing the chicken. A response that caused me to smile, if I was much of a drinker I imagine I would have the same response.

“Come in… You know you didn’t need to bring food Cayde” Sera said as she opened the door, stepping to the side to let us in, Cayde doing something to cause her to let out a small laugh as he passed her. As I had expected Zavala was already here, sat on the sofa with a glass of wine in one hand and looking over some maps that Sera had sat on the coffee table.

“Oh, maps… Not as nice as mine” Cayde commented, taking a seat and placing the chicken beside him, wagging a finger at it when it went to move, and very surprisingly it stayed still.

“Didn’t yours get destroyed when the Tower was attacked?” I asked and Cayde looked to a little surprised, he surely could not have memory problems after only six wipes.

“You think that was my only one?” Cayde replied, he was a Hunter; of course he’d have other maps stashed in various places, it would not surprise me if he had a spare sofa stashed on some forgotten planet, ready and waiting should he require a new one.

“Before we get down to business would you like a drink Ikora?” Sera asked, walking over to her kitchen and pouring a bright blue liquid into a tumbler.

“A glass of water will suffice” I said and Sera simply nodded, filling a glass with tap water before bringing both over, passing Cayde the tumbler and me the glass of water. She then moved to lean against the wall, taking a moment to ensure we were all settled.

“So, first thing first just don’t ask where I got this information from, you don’t need to know, though you can probably make a well educated guess” Sera said, Cayde simply nodding and Zavala did not react at all.

“How can we put our trust in a source we know nothing about?” I queried, Sera looked as if she was going to reply when Cayde interrupted. Nothing surprising there.

“If Sera says it is what is going on it is what is going on, Hunters are adept at telling false information from reliable information, and Zavala seems to have no concerns, he trusts her, and most importantly, Colonel trusts her” he stated, petting his chicken who just pecked his hand.

“Hunters will follow any information given to them and in some cases it has cost them their lives. You should know that better than anyone Cayde, and Zavala is bias and your chicken is… He is a chicken Cayde, he cannot give us an informed opinion let alone understand what is going on” I sighed.

“Before this goes any further I trust Sera’s decision to keep her source confidential for now, looking at this situation as a commander and not her partner I say we trust her. She has proven her capabilities in the past, she has always carefully picked her battles and whose information she follows and considering what is at stake here the source of the information is not important, it is what we do with it that will determine how many more Guardians we lose having already lost so many in the Red War” Zavala stated and I glanced to Cayde. He was staring down at the content of his glass, nodding along with what Zavala said. Andal Brask’s cloak draped around his shoulders, hood up obscuring my view of his eyes slightly, I should have known better than to make the comment I did, Andal’s death was still fresh for Cayde, not only had his death lost him the dare and caused him to, in his eyes, loose his freedom, but it was also the loss of his closest friend.

“Very well. Continue Serafina” I sighed and she nodded, leaning forward and picking up Zavala’s glass of wine and having a sip.

“Firstly, this is going to be the hardest part… Jackal has to die. There is no going back for him, no return from what they have done to him. It is permanent and there is nothing I or anyone else can do to change that fact” she said, it was most defiantly not good news, neither myself nor Cayde had managed to learn much more from the Fallen’s code but I had been hopeful there was a way to undo what they had done to the Exo Titan.

“Secondly, this is just the start, if we do not take him out and stop the Fallen running this sick and twisted operation they will build up to being able to turn every Exo Guardian and non Guardian against the rest of us… Now I don’t know about you but I couldn’t kill Cayde even if it meant my life, I couldn’t kill Banshee and I doubt I will be able to kill Jackal without someone else’s help. But at the minute they are limited to only being able to turn Exo’s they have abducted against us, and as far as I am aware that is only Jackal, though having been on patrols at times for months there could be Exo Hunters out there that have been abducted by the Fallen and we just don’t know it yet” Serafina said and Cayde lifted his head up and looked to the Hunter stood before us.

“I will call for all Hunters to sound in with their locations and tell them no longer than three months in the field unless OK’d by me… and if they have been out there longer than that to come back in if they are not on the trail of a nemesis or really evil Hive, Fallen, Cabal, Taken or Vex” Cayde replied, his fellow Hunter chuckling at his comment and nodding.

“I will also inform Sloane, Devrim and Failsafe to keep tabs on the Exo’s they know are around, they may be able to tell us if one seems to have disappeared without a trace, though we have a lot of areas the Fallen have as a stronghold that we have no one in to keep an eye out for others, like Venus and the Moon” Zavala stated and Cayde shrugged.

“They’ll just have to be careful” was all Cayde responded with.

What if you informed them that their Ghost has to have an emergency broadcast ready to go with the planet they are on, the area they are in and what they were doing and that it should be broadcast immediately if they Guardian is subdued by an enemy or looks to be fighting a losing battle

“That is a good solution Ace, then if the Guardian comes out the other side before help gets there they can send another message informing us that they no longer require assistance and what they are doing now be it coming back home or staying put and carrying on with their mission” I said and everyone nodded.

“OK… Now that is settled, how do we… How do we handle Jackal?” Zavala asked, hesitant it seemed to use the word kill.

“The Swords he is using, they will do the trick. If someone puts a bullet through his head, ideally one that delivers arc damage then an extremely stealthy Hunter that is hidden nearby can run in, grab the swords and end his life. The thing is tracking him” Serafina sighed, tracking him would be difficult, Nessus was not comprised of many open areas that would allow a sniper to get a clear shot and a Hunter to hide nearby.

**The plan that has been proposed by Sera is that she and Failsafe map his movements, she will keep her distance, stay out of his sight and the information we gather combined with the information Failsafe provides should give us an idea of if there are any patterns to his movements or if they are random and the places he passes through the most allowing us to scout them out when he is elsewhere and pick the ideal spot for the plan to be carried out in.**

“Alone on Nessus, If he comes for you there will be nothing any of us can do to help you. Failsafe is not exactly able to follow you around and watch your back, taking any hits for you” Cayde commented and Sera nodded.

“I know, but I am not only capable of wielding arc light, I can wield void light as well, utilising the abilities of a Nighstalker I shall be able to travel around Nessus unseen and should I come face to face with him I can get out of there quickly using a smoke bomb or the ability to dodge and vanish. Anyway, I will have Orion watching my back” she replied, Cayde nodding, happy with the arrangement, Zavala however seemed tense but remained silent, probably aware his thoughts were stemming from his emotions for her and not the rational side of him that knew her plan was as good as any we would be able to come up with.

“What if he doesn’t travel the more open areas of Nessus?” Zavala suddenly asked and Sera sighed, placing her glass down on the table and moving to crouch before it, unrolling the maps she had and starting to look carefully at them. Cayde leaning forward to do the same.

“AH! Colonel! NO! Look what you’ve done to the pretty, pretty maps!” Cayde suddenly exclaimed as the chicken darted forward and over the table knocking my glass of water over as he went. I just took a deep breath and suppressed a chuckle and a comment about him bringing the bird along whilst Zavala simply sighed. However Sera just looked at the maps, her head tilting to one side and her expression becoming very thoughtful. She’d had an idea.

“What is it Hunter?” I asked smiling at her and she took a deep breath.

“Vex tech, make it seem as if he is in one area, a more sheltered area of Nessus when he is in fact out in the open, trick him essentially and make our job a lot easier…” she stated, Cayde immediately forgetting about the chaos his chicken had caused and moving to speak.

“How about we talk to someone who has more experience with Vex tech and who has studied it more than any of us before you go volunteering to set the Vex tech up Cayde” I said, the Hunter beside me sighing a defeated sigh.

 **Oh no… Oh no… I know where this is going and I don’t like it**  
**_So glad it isn’t me who is going to get stuck working with him_  
** Same, I cannot stand him

“I imagine you Ghosts are aware I am suggesting we speak with Asher Mir about if this is possible” I stated and the Ghosts all nodded, Sera did as well, looking how the Ghosts felt, she obviously was not thrilled at the prospect of working with the rather tiring Warlock.

“He is our best option and I am sure Orion can keep his mouth shut whilst around him, or at least be polite to him. We need his help after all, there is a lot at stake” Zavala very plainly said, making it clear to the Ghost he would have to be on his best behaviour.

**I can manage that… But in return you crochet me a new pillow for the window ledge as well as make Neptune one for when you inevitably end up living here.**

Orion’s comment caused Cayde to laugh whilst Sera glanced to the Ghost a little unsure of his comment’s meaning by the look she was giving him whilst Zavala seemed to become unsure of himself but nodded at the Ghost… Were they on the same page in the relationship or had Orion simply caught them both off guard with his comment?

“Very well, I would suggest leaving for Io in the morning, get Asher to work on this as soon as possible. I will also send him the scan the Warlock procured for us of Jackal” I said, Sera sighing and standing up.

“I’ll go tonight, no point wasting time and he is a pain in the ass in the mornings, better to catch him when it is quiet and we are the only distraction” Sera sighed, obviously not thrilled at the idea but aware it was the best thing to do.

“Very well, we shall let you prepare and will send Asher a copy of the scan now as well as a message informing him you are making your way to Io, that way he should be a little more prepared for your arrival” I said, standing up and moving to leave, Sera simply nodding before going over to the chicken, picking it up and passing it to Cayde who just looked at her a little shocked.

“Thanks… Take care out there Hunter. Come back home in one piece you understand me” he said to her and she nodded, giving him a smile before he moved towards me.

“I shall see you both in the morning” Zavala simply said and we both nodded at him before leaving the apartment. Leaving Zavala and Serafina to say their own goodbyes.

__________________________________________________  
Zavala’s P.O.V – Sera’s apartment – Night time  
__________________________________________________

Both Ikora and Cayde had left, with the chicken and Sera was already starting to get everything she would need together, not even pausing when I stood from my seat on the sofa and moved towards her.

“Sera… Messing with Vex technology, it is dangerous, something both Asher and Cayde are well aware of yet seem to have forgotten. Are you sure this is the best course of action because I am not” I sighed and Sera stopped, turning to me and smiling at me.

“Zavala, as a commander you’d say to be careful and ensure we can pull this off… I need you to be that man for a moment, not Zavala the guy who runs his hands through my hair to calm me or who kisses down my neck to excite me. Can you just, for a moment, be Commander Zavala, the man I take orders from and look at this a little more critically” she said, giving me a quick reassuring kiss before moving back and looking at me, waiting for me to say something.

She was right; I needed to think about this critically, there was too much at stake to be putting my feelings and concerns for Sera before the mission. And this was not exactly a mission that I could hand control of over to Cayde or Ikora, it would take all of us working together to pull it off and ensure the safety of all our Guardians.

“Very well… Go to Io, see if it is possible to conduct the plan as we wish to, if it is not we shall have to find an alternative, be it that we simply hope he wonders into open ground often or that the Arcology on Titan, the Ishtar Academy on Venus or the Clovis Bray laboratories on Mars hold options for us. But remember to watch your back and don’t get stuck in the Vex teleportation system. We don’t need to be sending other Guardians to get you out of it” I said, Sera smiling at me and nodding.

“I’ll do my best not to get stuck in the Vex tech… And I promise I will be as careful as I can… Well, as careful as Hunters tend to be, we do like our risks after all, high risk means high reward as well as more fun” she chuckled and I found myself sighing along with Orion.

**That is not always the case Sera… Seriously, be careful, it is not just your life on the line it is mine as well, and I like being alive**

“I will do my best to make sure I come back alive and in one piece with a living and intact Ghost” Sera said, Orion nodding happily, I just smiled, stepped towards her and pulled her into a hug.

“Now I have been your commander I am going to be the man who cares about you and tell you to come home after all of this is over, just, make sure you come home to me, I don’t want to be sat in your apartment waiting on the door to open and you to walk in laughing away about something or the other knowing full well that isn’t going to happen because I watched Jackal murder you” I said, burying my face in her neck, taking in her scent and the feel of her skin.

After a moment I felt her wrap her arms around me and let out a gentle hum, she was smaller than me, not by much but she was smaller than me and I felt her lean up a little bit. At least I wasn’t the shortest Guardian ever as Shaxx had suggested I was in our youth.

“Zavala, I will do everything in my power to come home safe, I can’t promise you I will, but I can promise you I will try… And Neptune, if anything does happen to me, you better look out for him, make sure he doesn’t blame himself for my inability to watch my own back” Sera muttered, my Ghost making a noise acknowledging he had heard her, but it was a slightly sad sound, neither of us wanting to think about her death as something that would happen.

**_I will Sera, I promise…_ **

“Good… Now I best go, before I chicken out of having to deal with Asher Mir” Sera sighed, pulling back from our embrace, placing a soft kiss on my lips, her hand moving to rest on my cheek, lingering for a moment before moving away from me and into the bedroom, grabbing a few things before heading towards the front door, pausing for a moment and looking back at me, a smile on her face.

“Orion, give Neptune the code, you can come and go as you please whilst I am on Io and Nessus, feel free to stay here as well, I know you like the view” Sera stated, biting her lower lip whilst she smiled at me, clearly slightly nervous.

**_Code received… Thank you Sera  
_ Just a heads up that the Warlock next door may ask for a hand if he gets another bookcase, he isn’t the best at DIY it seems**   
_I don’t think anyone is good at DIY without being magic_

“Anyway… Yeah, stay here or at yours, I don’t mind, just don’t use my bath bombs or all my bubble bath and it’ll be fine” Sera said and I simply smiled at her and nodded, there was not much I could say to that.

A moment later she was out the door and gone.

**_So, a step closer to moving in together… You two sure like to do things fast, then again she is going up against an Exo Titan rewired by the Fallen who has the ability to kill a Guardian and their Ghost with one swipe of his blade…_ **

“Thanks Neptune… Really reassuring” I stated moving to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.

__________________________________________________  
Sera – The Hanger – Coming up to eleven at night  
__________________________________________________

I sighed as I strolled through the hanger; it was pretty empty, mostly frames doing work, a few people milling about. No one I recognised.

“Sera, where you heading this late at night?” a voice suddenly asked and I turned and Arjic was stood there, he looked like he had been out in the field today, his boots were a bit muddy and he had dried blood on his gauntlets.

“I am heading to Io to see Asher Mir; we have a plan to stop Jackal… Sadly it involves ending his life” I said, Arjic paused and let out a deep sigh.

“I am so sorry; I know you were close friends. Anything I can do to help?” Arjic suddenly asked and I was about to give him a smile and say it was fine, that I could handle this on my own but I paused. Having Arjic with me may be helpful; it would be someone else to watch my back, someone else to bounce ideas off who isn’t Asher Mir… Someone who I could take turns with putting up with Asher. That would be useful, and Ansel couldn’t speak so he couldn’t insult him like Orion was sure to do at some point.

“Actually… You could help us out, come with us; we could watch each other’s back and take turns putting up with Asher, also I think he may react better to another Warlock than a Hunter… I think I remind him of a Hunter he doesn’t like sometimes, he will say stuff and it is odd but I dare not ask him about it” I said and Arjic smiled.

“He worked with Eris Morn; she was one of the two Hunters to go into the Pyramidion with him. I can imagine you may remind him of her, you are Awoken, a Hunter and sometimes really damned scary but with only two glowing purple eyes instead of three glowing green ones” Arjic said and I wasn’t sure how to respond, I had never known he worked with Eris, then again I imagine they would get on, she is quiet and reserved, not going to bug him with idle chatter.

**So, is that a yes you’ll come with us?**

“Oh, yes, I will come with you guys, I can clean my gear on the way seeing as you look to be leaving now” Arjic said and I nodded, the Warlock simply smiling and moving back towards his ship.

This could be fun.

**Sera, I think you could ask him to drink all the Vex Milk on Nessus and he would. He looks at you like a lost puppy**


	20. Chapter 20 - All Your Weapons Are Loaded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I always planned to have Asher heavily involved in this segment of the story however what I did not plan on was delving into his lore as much as I did. He actually has a sad backstory (obviously does not excuse him being an utter A-hole) but it gave me some stuff to work with and add in.

__________________________________________________________  
Arjic – Io, inside the Pyramidion fighting The Genesis Mind  
__________________________________________________________

I looked down at Sera, her grip was slipping, she would not be able to hold on for much longer, and it was not exactly like it was easy to hold on to the barrel of a sniper rifle with one hand and shoot with the other.

“Just hold on, one more minute…” I hissed through gritted teeth, looking back over my shoulder, firing into a small group of Vex, eventually hitting the Fanatic stood at the centre, taking the rest out with him as he exploded. An approving sound being let out by Ansel as I turned back to Sera who was looking down at the item she held in her hand.

“Sera… You got a good hold on it?” I asked the Hunter who nodded her head and I holstered my gun and grabbed onto the rifles barrel with two hands, using all my strength to haul it, Sera and the first piece of Vex tech we needed to complete Asher’s machine up and back onto solid ground.

“Now to kill Brakion” I said and Sera just chuckled as Orion transmatted the object in her hand to safety.

“You make things sound so easy Arjic; we just need to enter the Pyramidion, we just need to steal part of a Vex gate, we just need to Kill Brakion, we just need to smile and nod when Asher speaks… Wish things were that simple in reality” she said, pulling herself up onto her feet and starting to fire at the Vex getting a little too close for comfort as well as Brakion who Luca had been keeping busy.

“Well… If Asher’s contraption works, maybe things will be that simple in reality” I commented and Sera glanced to me and then back to Brakion who she kept firing at, forcing him to turn his attention towards us and giving Luca the break he needed to be able to get out from under his feet.

“I would rather not going messing around with Vex tech and reality, it doesn’t seem to end well for those who do, look at those who went into the Vault of Glass and no one has heard from Osiris in a long time… Also, I don’t fancy a Vex arm nor to be caught in an infinite teleportation loop, do you?” Sera queried and I simply shook my head, she did have a point, though… Just maybe, Osiris was out there somewhere continuing his studies into the Vex and the Darkness, continuing his work.

**He is starting to exhibit signs that he is weakening. It would not surprise me if one last push finished him off…**

“Very well Orion… LUCA! TIME TO FUCK HIM UP!” Sera yelled across to Luca who looked over, stuck his thumbs ups, reaching into the air and summoning a golden gun, firing three shots at Brakion’s neck causing the giant Vex to stumble backwards, his head popping off and falling to the ground, coming to settle dangerously close to the edge, both myself and Sera letting out a sigh of relief as it came to a halt without falling.

“You two take care of Brakion and his minions, I will get the bit Asher wants” I said and Sera nodded, running over towards Luca, leaping any gaps in the floor with ease whilst I darted round our enemies, skidding between a Minotaur’s legs and putting several bullets into his back before using my melee to push him off the edge. Smirking as he met the same fate Sera almost did when a Minotaur had knocked her off the edge earlier.

“OK Ansel, highlight the bit I need and let’s get it so we can finish this guy off and get out of here” I muttered, my Ghost being the obliging Ghost he was pointed out the part I needed to rip out. I unsheathed the knife Luca had given me earlier when we had come up with the plan and begun to cut through the wires and other useless components to get to what I needed, well… What Asher needed.

“ARJIC! WATCH YOUR DOWN BACK NOW AND THEN!” Luca suddenly called over and I turned round just in time to melee a harpy in its beady little eye as it came up behind me before putting two shots into it and watching it explode.

“Ansel, now and then make sure nothing is trying to shoot me in the back” I said and my Ghost nodded as I got back to work digging out the component required, the damned thing was certainly buried deep in the head and surrounded by a lot of annoying wires.

“Almost got it… Almost got it…” I muttered, though as I reached for it a shadow fell over me and Ansel let out what was closer to a squeak than his usual warning beep.

“ARJIC! RUN! DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT COMPONENT! RUN!” Sera screamed, her voice barely audible over the sound of gunfire and the whirring sound of Brakion’s gun charging as he aimed it at me.

I took a deep breath, stood, focused on his chest before jumping in the air and blasting a Nova Bomb into his chest before he could fire at me causing him to stumble back before his legs gave way underneath him and his body slammed into the floor.

“Wow… That was one hell of a shot Arjic” Luca commented as he walked over the body and to me as I got back to work on freeing the component we needed from its casing within Brakion’s head.

** Asher, we have done it. Brakion is dead and we have the component we need for your reality reconfiguration machine **

_“Good… Bring me back the component and I will begin work on building the machine immediately… Also, bring me back his arm! I have the perfect spot from which to display it”_ Asher replied and I looked to Sera and Luca who were looking to the dead Vex… How the hell were we going to cut off its arm and who got the honour of presenting it to Asher?

__________________________________________________  
Sera’s P.O.V – On the way out the Pyramidion  
__________________________________________________

**Why did you bring both arms? Do you think Asher will won’t both arms?**

“He might do, if not I am sure Cayde would not mind studying a Vex arm, probably try to train it as well as that damned chicken” I chuckled, Orion just rolling his eye at me.

**I don’t think encouraging Cayde to play with Vex tech is a great idea, and I doubt the other Vanguard would appreciate you doing so.**

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them, anyway Asher may want both so Cayde won’t get a look in, and he’ll never know he missed out” I replied, Orion letting out his usual exasperated sigh that I earned when I made what he deemed to be ‘stupid comments’ on whatever the subject at hand was.

**You’d tell him just to wind him up, and don’t even try to deny that**

I just laughed as we made our way back through that bloody annoying laser grid, me and Luca managing it without too much difficulty, though Arjic, as he had done when we entered the Pyramidion, was having a little trouble. He wasn’t too confident when trying to navigate the lasers, taking a lot longer than he needed to when dodging through them.

“Sera… You know, just as when you told me to stop flirting, if you ever wanted me to start again it only takes a few words” Luca suddenly said and I glanced over to him just shaking my head at him. Seemed you couldn’t put that man off.

“Shut up Luca… Come on Arjic! It is fine; just leap forward once it isn’t right in front of your face!” I called back at the warlock who looked to me, nodded and jumped forward…

 **I will support Ansel during the revival process…**  
**That was as majestic as a Titan  
I think some Titans are more majestic than that**

“Sera… you really think this kid can be helpful to us? He obviously is not that confident in his abilities” Luca sighed walking over to stand next to me and I just glanced at him again, ignoring his comment and waiting for Arjic to be revived.

“You OK Arjic?” I asked walking over, dodging through a set of lasers to get to him, he looked to me, his helmet hiding his expression but his body language let me know he wasn’t exactly impressed with himself.

“Yeah, I am fine, just not as adept at this sort of stuff as you and Luca” Arjic said, I just smiled and looked up at the lasers he was still behind, it was coming down slowly so I grabbed Arjic and dragged him forward. Laughing as he stumbled and let out a surprised yelp as he almost ended up flat on his face.

“Just follow me through and you’ll be fine” I said pulling Arjic up to his feet and dragging him along with me, Luca just sighing and running a head, taking out any Taken that we had either left alive in our mad dash through or that had arrived after we had been through the area on our way to defeat Brakion.

“Sera, why haven’t you told Luca you are not single?” Arjic suddenly asked and I stopped, quickly dodging forward as I realised I stopped right below one of the beams of death. Arjic dodged through with me, stopping to look at me.

**How could you possibly know she wasn’t single?**

Orion asked, voicing the very question that was on my mind.

“Well, I went to see if you wanted to grab lunch earlier and you weren’t in, but your neighbour saw me, asked if I was the boyfriend. Said I didn’t know you had one, he didn’t until he heard you and your partner engaging in… Well… Urmmm… You know” Arjic said, his tone of voice changing from a curious one to a nervous one rather quickly.

“You can say it Arjic, he heard me and my partner having sex. Look, if I tell Luca he will want to know who it is, probably want to fight them for me like I am some prize to be won and he wouldn’t be quiet about it either and I don’t need the entire tower talking about my love life” I sighed, Arjic just nodded and then carried on walking.

“Though… If he has told someone else they could have in turn told a different somebody and on and on and on then they’d be talking about it anyway, trying to figure out who you are sleeping with” Arjic said and I looked to Orion who was looking at the Warlock with a curious expression.

**You don’t know who it is… Neither does our neighbour?**

Orion asked, wanting to clarify the information, probably making sure he didn’t drop us in it once again.

“No, he said he didn’t catch a name just that you and he sounded like you were having a very good time” Arjic clarified, Orion simply nodded and we kept moving forward, eventually catching up to Luca and making our way out of the Pyramidion and back to Asher.

__________________________________________________________  
Luca – Io – Sat waiting for Asher Mir to start his contraption  
__________________________________________________________

Once we got back to Asher’s little camp Sera presented him with Brakion’s arm which caused the man’s eyes to light up to behold and he took it from her, smirking down at it, obviously delighted to have it in his possession.

“He took my arm and you took his and his life… Oh today is a good day, today is a good day for revenge to be carried out and vengeance delivered” Asher chuckled, fawning over the arm like a mother over a newborn baby. It was slightly disturbing to say the least.

It was also wasting precious time that we didn’t have.

“Asher, the contraption to help us bend reality on Nessus… Does the part Arjic brought you work or do we need to go find another Vex to perform a lobotomy on?” I asked getting myself a stern look from Sera and a straight up ‘If looks could kill’ glare from Asher himself.

“Very well, assistant of my assistant… The parts that my fellow Warlock has provided me with should work just fine. By the way, that part is an extremely important part, it allows the Vex to warp time and space around them, allowing them to effectively use the gate systems they have to travel across the galaxy and across timelines with ease and without ending up in the wrong place. Without it the Vex would be trapped in the space time continuum and unable to lay waste to worlds as they have done in the past, present and future” Asher said and I looked to Sera who just shrugged whilst Arjic looked genuinely interested.

“When will it be ready for a test? I don’t want to go into a fight with a Guardian able to kill me without knowing it works first” Sera stated and Asher looked to her and then at the parts on the little table in front of him.

“Go do whatever it is you Hunters do whilst you don’t have stuff to stab and your Warlock friend can help me assemble the device, I shall have him contact you when it is complete… Just, try and keep the noise to a minimum” Asher sighed and I just shrugged and started to head out across the wilds of Io, I am sure there was some Vex or Taken somewhere just waiting to be killed.

“Very well… Just remember time is of the essence so no getting side tracked with where you are going to stick that arm” I heard Sera say and there was a mumbled response before a hearty laugh as Sera caught up to me.

“Please tell me you didn’t tell him where to stick it” I sighed and Sera shook her head.

 **What did you say?  
She told him she would take it back down into the Pyramidion and stick it back on Brakion.**  
** I doubt he was impressed**  
**Far from it**

“It got him working so that is all that matters” Sera stated and I just chuckled. She certainly did have one hell of a personality and one hell of sharp mouth on her.

“Well, it is Arjic that has to put up with him not us” I said and Sera nodded in agreement.

 **At least Ansel cannot talk so he cannot get himself in trouble like I always manage to**  
**Though to be fair they may bond over that, both of them have busted up Ghosts  
Asher’s Ghost creeps me out, with that Vex eye and all that weird stuff coming out it**  
** I once heard him wondering out loud to himself if he should put it down**  
**Really? Wow… Then again, if it is in pain maybe… I don’t know, not something I want to think about**

__________________________________________________  
Arjic – Io, working with Asher Mir – Close to dusk  
__________________________________________________

“That should do it. Now call back your two Hunter friends and we shall test this out, ensure it works before you set of for Nessus and make the world right once more” Asher commented and I nodded to Ansel whose shell twisted and turned before he looked back to me and nodded.

Asher was silent for a moment, observing Ansel quietly, it was slightly unnerving, his own Ghost floating nearby, his bright red eye focused on his Guardian.

“My Ghost no longer speaks, at least not as far as I am aware” he suddenly said glancing to his Ghost who just looked back at him, silent, silent and unblinking.

“Ansel was trodden on; a Cabal Phalanx stomped on him… He hasn’t been able to speak since but we are managing, we are settling into a groove with regards to communication” I said and Ansel nodded before looking over to Asher’s Ghost who looked to Asher a little sad, the old Warlock simply placing his Awoken hand on the Ghost and seemingly saying all he needed to.

Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t such a bad guy after all…

“So… You guys ready to test it out before we go take care of business on Nessus?” Sera’s voice asked as the two Hunters approached us. Asher becoming tense once more and grabbing all the components we needed.

“Yes, now go set these up at three pre-marked points, I have sent your Ghost the details… Go on, go make yourselves useful!” Asher snapped thrusting the components into the arms of the two Hunters, Luca huffing and walking off, Sera raising a brow at him before retreating to do the same. Asher watched her go, he looked like he had recognised something, recognised someone…

“She reminds me of Eris Morn… Before she lost her Ghost and stole an Acolytes eyes” Asher suddenly stated and I looked to him. How well had he known the Hunter before the attack on the moon, before she and her Fireteam went back down there, only her living to tell the tale.

“Asher, how well did you know Eris?” I asked, knowing I was treading on very unsteady ground, knowing he could take this one of two ways, either shut me out or open up to me a little bit more.

“Well enough to know when I see a Hunter about to get herself into a whole heap of trouble… I would suggest not following her down into any pits, has never really worked out to well for Hunters” he commented and I wanted to respond but had no idea how. Was that genuine advice or was he making a dig at both Eris and Sera?

“OK old man, that is done, what next?” Luca asked walking back over, Sera trailing behind him rolling her eyes at his comment, Asher letting out a frustrated sigh and picking up something that looked like a really chunky TV controller.

“OK… Follow me, we shall see if this works” He sighed pushing past Luca and skirting past Sera, I just followed suit.

**What should happen when we activate the device?**

“We should be standing in front of Brakion’s dead body inside the Pyramidion whilst in reality we are stood in the rupture, safely away from any of our enemies and able to exit the alternate reality at any moment” Asher said and we all nodded. Despite having helped Asher a bit I was not really able to understand everything he said, it was something I would have to find a book on.

“OK. When you’re ready do it” Sera said taking a deep breath, her gun resting in her arms… It wasn’t a casual pose, she was ready for a fight should the need arise.

“Very well… Here we go” Asher said, hitting a few buttons on his controller and after a second and a flash of grey light we found ourselves stood in the middle of the room where we had put an end to Brakion.

 **It worked!**  
**We are in once piece as well!  
Always a bonus**

“Where is it… where is his body?” Asher practically snarled and Sera looked round, confused, I quickly glanced round and found out why. Brakion’s dead body was not there. It had gone.

“It should be right here… He fell right here” Luca commented walking over to the area where the Vex’s body had fallen, but there nothing there.

“This isn’t right… End the test Asher” I said and he looked to me and nodded, obviously annoyed that it had not worked as he had planned but he hit several buttons on the controller but nothing happened.

“Why is this contraption not working… Impossible, this cannot have broken! It is impossible…” he muttered as he started mashing buttons like an annoyed child trying to get a toy to work how they wanted it to.

“Urmmm… Asher, is that supposed to be happening?” Sera suddenly asked, her and Luca backing up and coming back to stand in front of us, guns pointed up at the figure of Brakion forming before us. He was a lot taller than he was last time, a lot tougher looking as well.

“No… No that is not supposed to be happening. May I borrow a weapon, preferably a hand cannon or shotgun, I like something with a bit of kick” he said and Luca reached to the hand cannon holstered at his hip, un-holstered it and passed it back to Asher, his eyes never leaving the newly formed Brakion.

**Sera… All your weapons are loaded.  
So are yours Luca**

There was a simple beeping sound from Ansel but it let me know I was ready for a fight, as was he.

“Well, looks like we are back in the game my old friend. Are you ready to get our own vengeance?” Asher asked his Ghost who all of a sudden looked extremely determined and a helmet suddenly appeared over Asher’s head… I guess this was personal for them…

**Guys… What is it doing… How is it summoning… Summoning THEM!**


	21. Halloween Special - Chicken Terror

_______________________________________________________________  
Sera – Her apartment – Three in the morning  
_______________________________________________________________

I groaned as my eyes fluttered open, the sound of Zavala rummaging round in the kitchen letting me know everything was fine, there was no reason to worry. I blinked a few times, both the Ghosts were sat on the window ledge looking out over the city as they did most nights, I just smiled to myself, stretched out slightly before letting out a rather long yawn and rolling over, wrapping myself up in the warm blankets…

“Fuck sakes!” I breathed out as I came face-to-face with a sleeping Zavala, the blue Awoken simply shifting slightly in his sleep before rolling over and taking most the blankets with him. “Of course you are out like a log, lucky fucking Titan’s and their ability to sleep” I found myself muttering as I sat up and slipped out of bed.

“Oi, you two with me” I sighed tapping both the Ghosts on their heads and gesturing for them to follow me as I made my way towards the door to the rest of my apartment, grabbing a throwing knife I had hidden behind a photo frame on my dresser.

**Sera, what are you doing?  
_Aren’t you going to wake Zavala?_**

“I can handle myself, and that man sleeps like the dead as it is. Now shush and alert me if you see anything” I muttered as I slipped through the door, sticking to the shadows and glancing round my apartment. I couldn’t see anyone else, and there were no signs that anything had been moved… Except, excepts the clothes I had on the radiator in the kitchen.

“Who the hell breaks into someone’s apartment to steal a bra…” I muttered as I noticed one of my favourites had gone missing, as had one of Zavala’s spare Titan marks. Had they slipped down the back?

I placed the knife down on top of the radiator and bent down to look beneath it.

**Urmmm…  
_Sera… Behind you_**

I paused and slowly turned round, a pair of eyes staring at me from under my dining table, they belonged to something small, something small but something that looked pretty wide.

I was about to reach for my knife when it let out a screech and darted for the living room door, which opened for it, causing me to grab my knife and chase it up to the doorway where I realised I only had underwear on. Whatever it was had slipped out my sight and into the elevator which a screaming Titan had just launched himself out of as this screeching thing ran into it.

“You alright?” I asked the Titan who was clutching his chest, a bag of Festival of the Lost decorations in his arms.

“Yeah… Fine. Not scared at all” he said, trying to sound tough as well as puffing out his chest, but that did not negate the fact I saw him leap over whatever it was screaming like a little girl and that had to be one of the funniest things I had ever seen.

“You OK?” a voice suddenly asked and I jumped letting out a slightly terrified squeak as Zavala placed a hand on my shoulder and I turned and whacked him in the chest with my empty hand.

“You ass! Don’t sneak up on people like that!” I snapped and he just laughed, as did the Titan down the hall.

“I just saw you scream like a little girl Titan, don’t go laughing at me!” I called down the hall as he headed towards his apartment, waving my comment off and chuckling.

 **Sera, I was unable to scan the creature, I have no idea what it could have been**  
**_I was also unable to scan it, I was worried a Thrall had gotten in and was going to eat me  
_ Very funny Neptune… You are hilarious!**

I just chuckled at the two Ghosts, slipping back into my apartment properly and allowing the door to fully close, ensuring it locked as well.

“So, what was all the screaming and screeching about?” Zavala asked and I sighed moving to look under the dining room table, no signs of whatever was there had been left behind.

“I thought I heard you in the kitchen but it turns out it wasn’t you, it was… I don’t know, something small and loud and slightly scary” I sighed and Zavala raised a brow before starting to head back to the bedroom.

“I think you and Cayde should stop trying to scare me, all because the Festival of the Lost overlaps with that old tradition… Halloween, it does not mean you can go round scaring people” Zavala commented and I stood up straight and glared at him.

“There was something in my apartment Zavala! I am not kidding and I am not trying to scare you! Now help me figure out what took my washing and screeches like a bloody banshee!” I rather defensively snapped. Why didn’t he believe me? I had only helped Cayde try and make him jump once… and that was a few days ago now, did he really thing this was another attempt?

 ** _Honestly Zavala, something was in here, it had really evil eyes!  
_****And it made such a horrible noise, not even the Fallen or Hive make sounds like that**  
****_And it sounded like it had claws!  
_ True! It was actually really scary Zavala!

I looked to the Ghosts; suddenly scared of what I had originally thought may be a big rat… Now, now I was not so sure. This tower had not been used as much before we moved in after the main towers destruction, who knew what had been lurking in empty rooms that we had disturbed…

Zavala paused and looked at the Ghosts and then back tom me, his expression was very briefly one of uncertainty before going back to be being his usual smile.

“Just come back to bed, the door is locked, no one and nothing is going to get back into the apartment tonight, we can check the security footage in the morning” he said and I sighed, placing my knife down on the dining room table before following him back into the bedroom.

“You know, I never realised how easy it was to make a Hunter jump” Zavala chuckled and I sighed.

**Be lucky she didn’t stab you**

_______________________________________________________________  
Luca – His apartment – Quarter past three in the morning  
_______________________________________________________________

I sat on my sofa staring up at the ceiling, thinking about nothing specific, when my apartment door slid open and the sound of something running in filled the silence, both myself and Dom sitting up, alert and listening out for any sound once the door slid closed but it had gone silent.

“Hello!” I called out and Dom looked to me and sighed.

** If someone is breaking and entering or here to murder you do you think they are really going to say hello back? **

“You never know… Some people are not that smart” I said and Dom chuckled.

** You being one of them by the looks of it **

“Just shut up” I sighed shifting on the sofa so I could look over the edge, some brown feathers sticking out from under my sofa… Feathers… Had a bird got in? I reached down to grab them and just as I started to close my hand around them the thing bolted under the sofa even more and out the other side.

I twisted to try and see where it went but only succeeded in falling off my sofa backwards and whacking my head on my coffee table, requiring Dom’s attention as he healed the wound and something very noisily ran around my apartment before exiting the same way it came in… How had it opened the door without a Ghost who had the code?

** Before you ask I don’t have clue what it was, now let’s get you and your coffee table cleaned up **

I just nodded; slightly concerned someone or something had gotten into my apartment… What if I had been asleep? What if I had been alone and Dom was in another room or delivering a message? It was scary to think about…

_______________________________________________________________  
Arjic – The elevator – Half three in the morning  
_______________________________________________________________

I leant back against the elevator wall, ignoring Ansel’s disapproving luck, yes I was covered in mud but I didn’t care, I just wanted to go to bed and not have to deal with the Hive or Thrall’s ever again. They were terrifying.

After a moment Ansel let out a few beeps and I looked to him a little unsure of what he was getting at, the little Ghost looking up at the panels on the elevator ceiling, one of them was loose. I moved slightly and reached up, shifting it to one side.

“AH! CRAP! GET OFF ME! OH GOD HELP!” I screamed as something fell on me, the sounds of claws scratching against my armour and something hitting each side of my face rather frantically and wildly. I just continued to scream whilst Ansel let out beep after beep after beep, each one meaning nothing to me as I flailed around with whatever it was attached to my face.

“ARJIC! WHAT THE HELL!” A voice called and I opened an eye and the elevator doors were open, Sera stood there staring at me and the chicken in my hands… Wait… Chicken.

“Is that… My bra” Sera said reaching out and untangling what was very obviously a bra from around the Chicken’s neck.

**Well it isn’t Arjic’s and I don’t think the chicken’s breasts are that big**

“Oh shut up Orion… I bet it was this feathered idiot who was in my apartment earlier” Sera sighed shoving the bra into the pocket of her pyjama trousers, the pocket obviously not big enough to hold a bra as half of it was dangling out the pocket.

**Shall we return him to Cayde?**

“We shall” Sera suddenly said, her voice scarier than it usually was, she was not happy with this chicken and it looked like Cayde was about to learn that. Poor guy. “Come on Arjic, floor eight room seven, we are going to go play a little prank on a certain Hunter Vanguard” she said and I looked at her a little wide eyed.

“I am helping?” I queried and she simply nodded and pressed the button herself, the elevator doors closing and starting to move, Sera glancing down at the chicken still in my arms.

“How are we going to scare Cayde?” I asked and Sera smirked.

“He is scared of clowns, Orion, you know what I want” the Hunter stated and her Ghost nodded, a clown wig and part of a clown costume appearing in her hands as well as a knife.

“Now, hold the chicken still, I don’t want to cut him, just get this so I can tie it on without it being too tight or loose” she muttered, crouching before me and draping things over this chicken. I just looked up to Ansel who raised his equivalent of a brow at me and I just shrugged whilst Orion chuckled.

**Better hope no one is waiting for the elevator when the doors open or this is going to look VERY weird**

“Oh yes it will, but oh well, it is worth it for revenge on that damned Exo and his complete and utter incapability to keep a chicken in one place over night.

_______________________________________________________________  
Cayde – His apartment – Four in the morning  
_______________________________________________________________

I opened my optics as I heard a scratching noise an odd felt a weight on my chest, as they focused in the dim light I became acutely aware of a chicken on my chest… Only this chicken was not a friendly chicken.

“EVIL CLOWN CHICKEN! EVIL CLOWN CHICKEN!” I yelled throwing myself off my bed, the chicken flapping it’s evil wings and landing on the floor with ease and chasing after me. I ran into my living room and was greeted by the sight of two figures stood in the dark. I stopped in my tracks ready to fight my way out when the sound of laughter filled the room and the figures doubled over themselves, clutching on to one another.

“Oh that was good!” a familiar voice said from my left and I looked left to see Luca stood there filming and as my optics adjusted to the light the two figures came into focus… Sera and Arjic.

“Oh that was so good! Serves you right for letting that chicken loose in the tower” Sera laughed… Was she in her pyjamas?

**It was rather funny watching you chase it out your apartment in your underwear  
Not so funny when Luca tried to see where it went and cracked his head open… not the first time to be fair though**

Ansel made some beeping sounds and the Ghosts laughed.

** Ansel said it was funny watching Arjic try and fight a chicken in a lift whilst screaming for his life… He even filmed it and has sent it to everyone **

“Ansel!” Arjic yelled and I chuckled, looking back at the chicken stood looking at all of us… It was still creepy as a clown. Would never get that image out my head.

“Anyway… We filmed this as well, sure Shaxx, Zavala and Ikora would love to see it” Sera said and I looked to the Hunter who was smirking.

“Fine… Sorry for putting a microchip in his food that has an override for all the doors in the Tower on so he could wander freely. I didn’t think he would cause so much hassle.

**It was an hour of chicken terror Cayde…**


	22. Chapter 22 - Only One To Save Us All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brakion is back and bigger than before! But it isn't just Luca, Arjic and Sera who have to fight him. Asher is here this time.  
> With regards to Asher's background, I took some liberty in assuming what happened to the other Hunter in the Fireteam and he may be a little out of character but all we get to see is the a** on Io and I kind of like to think there is more to him than that.  
> Enjoy!

____________________________________________________________________  
Sera – Pyramidion under the effect of the reality bending contraption  
____________________________________________________________________

**They are… Guardians!**

“They shall soon be dead Guardians” Asher replied to Orion as he opened fire on the Guardians charging at us, Arjic and Luca darting for cover whilst I pushed aside my concerns about killing other Guardians and opened fire as well. If they were shooting at us so willingly and seemingly in control of themselves how could I be certain they were not some trick? After all, reality was not as it should be.

“HOW COULD HE HAVE SUMMONED GUARDIANS?” Arjic yelled and I looked round at the Guardians falling to the floor as me and Asher shot them down… Their bodies changing as they hit the floor.

“THEY ARE NOT GUARDIANS! THEY ARE VEX! SHOOT THEM YOU TWO!” I yelled at them, wincing as I took a hit to the shoulder causing me to take cover whilst I reloaded and took a moment to refocus myself whilst Orion healed my wound.

**All sorted… Try not to get shot too much OK**

“I will try my best, just keep an eye on Asher, I don’t know how stable he is going to be in a situation like this” I sighed and Orion nodded.

**Will do; now get back out there, Vex need shooting**

I just smiled and rolled out from behind the cover, putting several shots into a 'Guardian' coming up some steps towards me and watching them fall back, the familiar sound of metal hitting stone ringing out as the Vex body connected with the floor. It was a satisfying sound to say the least.

I glanced round; Asher had already made his way towards Brakion, shooting relentlessly at the Vex Gate Lord… Aiming for his arm. Of course.

“Arjic, Luca… Take care of these Vex in disguise; I am going to make sure Asher doesn’t get himself killed. Orion, link with his Ghost and link him up to the comms, we need to communicate if we are going to get out of here alive” I said down the comms, darting round a few ‘Guardians’ and making my way to Asher. If the old man got himself killed then we may end up stuck here and unable to get out and if we did we would have no one to fix the damned contraption.

 _“Why am I being tied into this communication link? I am sure the three of you are perfectly capable of working on the fly; it seems to be all you do when you are on Io at other times… Oh look the Cabal have a mining drill, let us shoot it!”_ Asher sighed over the comms and I found myself rolling my eyes as I put round after round into Brakion.

“We need to be table to communication Asher; it is how we stay alive! Now Arjic and Luca are taking care of the ‘Guardians’ but still make sure you watch your backs, we will focus predominately on Brakion. Who by the way… Is a lot less dead than when I last saw him!” I snapped, getting very fed up very quickly with the old cantankerous Warlock.

__________________________________________________  
Luca – Pyramidion – Fighting ‘Guardian Vex’  
__________________________________________________

I fired into a group of the Vex disguised as Guardians; three dropping to the ground whilst two turned their attention from Asher and Sera to me and Arjic. I dodged a few of their shots before taking on to the knee and ending up doubling over to protect myself though no more shots came my way, just a hand on the shoulder.

“I got your back” Arjic’s voice said and I looked up, he had put a healing rift down and taken care of the last two enemies before turning his attention to another group of ‘Guardian Vex’ that were approaching us. Sera and Asher were holding their own against both Brakion and any other attackers coming their way right now.

“It feels weird, shooting at Guardians and seeing Vex hit the floor, it is unnerving” Arjic commented and I simply nodded in agreement.

 _“Will you two stop gossiping and focus! I don’t know how you can work with such noise assistant”_ Asher sighed down the comms and I just wanted to punch the guy, or put a rocket in his face. He was such an ass! How Sera found it in herself to be kind to the guy I don’t know, and how Arjic hadn’t murdered him working on this fucking project, well, he had to be a freaking deity to have that much patience.

 _“Can we please just focus on killing Brakion… Again!”_ Sera snapped down the radio, most likely getting annoyed at myself and Asher as well as the fact Brakion was once again shooting at us despite the fact we had already killed him.

 **How could he have come back to life?**  
**Not a clue, he was most certainly dead when we left the Pyramidion earlier  
Not often we have to kill the same person twice in one day outside the Crucible**

 _“I have a theory on how Brakion has managed to come back to life. You took a part from his severed head and by all accounts that head should have had no connection to the rest of him and be a non-functioning pile of Vex scrap. However it is entirely possible that it still had a connection to him and the rest of the Vex system allowing his consciousness to escape into the piece which is what makes this reality bending technology I developed work. It is also entirely possible that part contained radiolarian the Vex mind fluid allowing him to essentially hijack the system and pull himself and other Vex killed in the Pyramidion from the past to this present moment… Something I will have to find a way around as the component is necessary to make this work, especially as your back up plan does not sound very… Sound”_ Asher replied and I just kept quiet, I didn’t need my questions answering. I certainly did not need Asher calling me stupid. Not right now or he would be getting a few rounds to the face, ally or not.

“ARGH!” Arjic suddenly screamed out in pain and I turned to see him fall back against the cover we had darted behind, clutching his heavily bleeding abdomen, his Ghost working frantically to heal him.

** LUCA! EYES UP! **

Dom suddenly yelled and I turned back round to see Brakion about to tread on us, I quickly grabbed hold of Arjic and dodged out the way, dragging the Warlock and his Ghost with me. Doubt he had any time to register what had happened to him, even his Ghost looked a little disorientated for a moment before he finished off healing his Guardian who was soon back on his feet firing his weapon at Brakion as we made our way to more suitable cover. Sera and Asher were now dealing with the Vex Guardians surrounding them since Brakion had turned his attention to myself and Arjic.

__________________________________________________  
Arjic – Pyramidion – Fighting ‘Guardian Vex’  
__________________________________________________

I leant back against our new little bit of cover, quickly reloading my weapons, smiling to myself as I loaded my rocket launcher, this should cause a few dents to Brakion to say the least.

“Luca, I’d cover your ears if I were you” I commented and the Hunter looked to me and the rocket launcher in my hands before nodding and crouching down, allowing me to jump over him, hovering in the air for a moment as I lined up my shot… Right in Brakion’s big ugly face.

I fired the rocket, it whistled through the air, the sound of the explosion, of my robes flowing behind me as I glided to the ground and of Brakion’s cry of pain… Well, I think it was pain, anyway, all those sounds combined made the moment all the more epic.

I took a few steps back as Brakion stumbled backwards, turning his attention away from us once more and back to Sera and Asher, the two still dealing with the Vex Guardians that were surrounding him. Though despite being surrounded, both seemed to be taking it in their stride.

I glanced back to Brakion as I put a few shots into some other Vex Guardians…

“SERA! AHSER! LOOK OUT!” I screamed out but it was too late, the shot hit Sera square in the chest sending her stumbling back and into Asher’s arms, the Warlock blinking out of sight suddenly, taking Sera with him. Where were they?

 _“Can you two fools take care of Brakion for a moment, I shall deal with my injured assistant”_ Asher’s voice said over the radio and I looked to Luca who nodded, the two of us unloading everything we had on Brakion and his minions.

_____________________________________________________________  
Asher – Pyramidion – Hiding behind cover with an injured Sera  
_____________________________________________________________

I leant the Hunter against the stone; the shot had not only heavily damaged her armour but also the flesh beneath it. I could both see and smell the burning skin, her Ghost slowly repairing it, my Ghost aiding him.

“Hmmm… So you do have a caring side” my assistant muttered and I looked up to her, her voice was strained, the pain she was feeling audible but despite all that her sarcastic tone was still there.

“I may have a mechanical arm but that does not mean I am heartless. You Hunters have no sense” I replied, taking care of the few Vex disguised as Guardians that found our hiding spot. She merely let out a very weak and pathetic attempt at a laugh that turned into a pained cough.

**This wound is going to take a few more minute to heal; the damage to your internal organs is extensive… One more hit off anything and you’d have been dead.**

“Save your breath assistant, your associates are taking care of the Vex for the time being” I stated as the Ghosts worked away, their shells twisting and turning, emitting light that knitted bone and flesh back together as well as metal and plastic.

“You are not as much as an asshole as you let on, you just like to let people think you don’t care or that you hate us all” she said, ignoring my advice to save her breath annoyingly. Some peace and quiet would be appreciated so I could work on figuring out how to get us out of here if killing Brakion did not work.

“Very well, I would be saddened if you were to die. When Eris returned I was glad to hear of her return, I am worried for her safety though I am fully aware she is a Hunter. If there is anything positive I had to say about Hunters it is this, you know how to survive what others may not” I sighed, her small laugh informing me she had not been silent due to being unconscious but because she was listening to my words.

“I won’t tell anyone you aren’t a heartless asshole Asher, don’t worry” She said, picking up her gun and shifting slightly.

“Get back out there, Orion can cope on his own and I can fend off any Vex that find me. Go make sure they kill Brakion before you say something else that could be considered nice” she added and I looked her over, she was in much better shape than she was when I had got her to the cover that was for sure.

“Very well. Try not to get yourself killed” I said before stepping out from behind the cover, locating Brakion and opening fire on him.

__________________________________________________  
Sera – Pyramidion – Hiding whilst Orion heals her  
__________________________________________________

“So guys, how is it looking out there?” I asked down the comms, a sigh of relief and one of annoyance the first sounds I heard before someone spoke up.

 _“Doing just fine, Brakion is starting to show some wear and tear, a few more good solid hits and he might just go down”_ Arjic replied and I looked down at Orion, working away putting me back together. Thankfully the pain was subsiding, meaning that he would start working on repairing the gaping hole in my armour soon.

“I’ll be back with you momentarily” I sighed, shooting the Vex that came round the corner, I hated Hobgoblins…

“You almost done Orion?” I asked starting to pull myself up and peeking over the cover, no more Vex Guardians, just Vex. Brakion must be weakening, unable to keep up the illusion any longer. Unable to bend reality any longer.

**Will you sit back down! You have no skin over your sternum!**

“Jeez, you’d think you could see my heart” I muttered and Orion stopped for a moment and looked to me.

**YOU COULD! I AM SURPRISED ASHER DIDN’T THROW UP! IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIS GHOSTS HELP YOU WOULD BE DEAD SERA! AND IN THIS REAILTY I HAVE NO IDEA IF I CAN RESSURECT YOU SO STAY STILL AND LET ME FINISH HEALING YOU!**

I just nodded, sat back and let him do this thing. Orion rarely yelled at me like that, and when he did he was either really angry or really upset. Right now he was both, most likely angry at my attitude and upset I was shot and injured so badly… At least Zavala wasn’t here to see this; he’d be having kittens, puppies and foals if he had witnessed that.

“Orion… Thank you” I muttered, the little Ghost simply making a little beeping sound before continuing what he was doing. After a few silent moments he had repaired my body and my armour and I was ready to go again.

**Be careful for crying out loud Sera. I love you and have come close to losing you too many times in the past twelve months. I could not cope if you died.**

I just nodded before slipping out from behind cover, Brakion was stood on the opposite side of our little area of reality, firing away at Asher, Luca and Arjic, the three all shooting back as well as at any Vex that got close enough or where in their line of sight.

**Your rocket launcher is loaded and ready to go. You also have five more rounds once this one is fired**

“You know just what to say to make me a happy Hunter” I chuckled and switched from MIDA to my rocket launcher and lined the shot up. This was going to be fun. I smirked as I pulled the trigger; the rocket hissed as it shot out the barrel of the rocket launcher and flew towards Brakion. Though the damned Vex moved and it only clipped his arm.

I quickly reloaded and looked up to aim again; he was looking at me again, aiming at me again.

“Fuck” I muttered as I dodged just in time, it was like slow motion, the shot sailed past my head and I watched it as it did. And here I was thinking stuff like that only happened in the movies.

I quickly took aim once the next rocket was ready to fire and Brakion was looking right at me giving me a nice juicy target. I aimed right for the middle of his chest; we’d see how he liked it. And once he was steady taking his aim once more I fired, dodging behind cover as soon as the rocket had left the launcher and was sailing towards the giant ass Vex.

**On target.**

“Cheers” I muttered peeking out to see Brakion stumble back for a moment before looking back over at where I was and I ducked back behind the cover as purple fire was shot at me.

“Luca, you got a flaming pistol at all, a giant ball of purple death would do nicely too Arjic” I said down the comms and I was rewarded with the very familiar sound of a Golden Gun being summoned and three shots being fired at Brakion, with each one I could hear him let out a robotic cry of pain.

 _“And now it is Arjic’s go”_ Luca commented down the comms as I reloaded my rocket launcher. I suddenly felt a presence beside me and Asher was suddenly there, reloaded his own weapon.

“Luca was singing about his aim. It was annoying” he muttered and I found myself smiling before I looked back round the cover to see Arjic running up to Brakion, jumping up in front of him and blasting the Vex with a Nova Bomb. Now that was something to sing about. The purple ball of Void energy collided with the no longer shiny Vex causing him to stumble backwards as it exploded around him.

I moved out of cover to fire my rocket launcher when Brakion started to slowly fall to his knees, his body falling to pieces. “Asher, he is dead again” I said and my fellow Awoken stood from behind the cover and looked over at Brakion as his body fell apart, each piece making a satisfying thud as it came to rest on the stone ground.

“Well, that is an impressive sight to say the least” the old Warlock said and I just smiled as I walked over to where the body had collapsed in a heap.

 **Now it is dead can we end this test and figure out a way to prevent this happening again?**  
**That is a great idea Orion**  
_BEEP_

“I think Ansel agrees with you” Arjic commented as he and Luca joined myself and Asher next to the body. Asher took a deep breath and nodded, pulling the remote out of his robes he pushed a few buttons and everything around us started to flicker and slowly vanished leaving us stood in the Rupture on Io, a group of about ten Guardians look at us a little shocked.

“What the fuck was that?” a Titan asked and Asher took off his helmet and went to hand the gun back to Luca who just shook his head leaving Asher looking slightly confused for a moment before the Awoken Warlock simply headed back to his usual spot.

“You guys were in the Pyramidion but we could see you whilst we were stood here. It was really odd; it was like there was a barrier stopping us getting to you when we tried to interact with you… What were you doing?” one of the Warlocks asked, his voice practically dripping with curiosity.

“Reality bending shit, now if you’ll excuse us we have Asher Mir to deal with” Luca suddenly said and the Warlock looked a little shocked but just nodded and I followed Luca over to where Asher was and Arjic followed me. Once we got there Asher was already tinkering with the contraption and the remote.

“Once I have made the adjustments another field test will be required to ensure that this incident will not be repeated and then I shall show you how to use the device so you can set it up on Nessus as I have far too much important work to do here so will not be accompanying you” Asher commented and Luca just nodded and leant against some rocks, taking his helmet off and looking very annoyed but he thankfully stayed silent. I did not need a pissed off Luca and Asher on my hands right now, and if Luca opened his mouth I imagine it would be to piss Asher off.

“Fair enough. If you need anything give me a shout, we are going to go make camp and have a meal. You want anything to eat?” I asked and Asher shook his head and shooed us off. I didn’t bother asking any questions I just did as I said I would and Arjic and Luca followed me.

_____________________________________________________________________  
Sera – Camping the other side of the Rupture to Asher – An hour later  
_____________________________________________________________________

I smiled as the three of us and our Ghosts relaxed and watched the fire flicker away, the make shift stand me and Luca had made held the little pot of stew we were making, hopefully it tasted OK, the packet had been sitting in my ship for a rather long time as it served six and I was never out and about with six people.

“This is nice, the peace and quiet, the stars in the night sky, the lack of things shooting at us” Arjic said, sighing contently as he sat back against one of the pillars sticking out the ground and closed his eyes. I just smiled whilst Luca chuckled.

“It is pretty damned nice isn’t it? How are you two feeling anyway? You both took some pretty big hits” Luca asked and I looked to Arjic and let him answer first.

“I am fine, was nothing major, not like yours Sera, it must have been pretty bad, Asher had a fair bit of blood on him when he rejoined the fight” Arjic said and I paused for a moment, I hadn’t noticed he had any blood on his robes, then again, they were not exactly the brightest of colours.

“I am fine, Orion and Asher’s Ghost fixed me right up” I said smiling at the two Guardians sat with me, both simply nodded and silence fell over us once more. The crackling of the fire and the sound of the breeze taking its turn to be heard, it was relaxing, calming and a moment to just take a deep breath and enjoy being alive and in one piece.

“You know, I was worried when you were shot, didn’t think I’d get to see those pretty eyes ever again” Luca laughed and I looked over to him a little annoyed, we were having a nice peaceful moment and he goes and ruins it by saying something stupid like that.

“I know, I know… No more flirting but I can’t help myself, you are a beautiful woman, and I really do mean that Sera, you are stunning” Luca said and I found myself sighing.

“Look Luca, I lied to you. I am in a relationship and you know what, it is with the most amazing man I have ever met, he is the kind of person I can see myself spending the rest of my life with, be it I die tomorrow or in a thousand years, so you know what, you can keep flirting with me if you want but all it is going to get you is annoyed sighs and pissed off expressions” I said and Arjic looked at me a little surprised whilst Luca looked at me rather stunned for a moment before giving me a soft and slightly sad smile.

“Very well, I wish you and your partner all the best, finding that person is rare and special, hold on to it” Luca rather quietly said and I smiled and nodded.

“Speaking of relationships… Is the Warlock who lives next door to you in one Sera?” Arjic suddenly asked and I found myself chuckling and looking over to Arjic who was looking at me, waiting patiently for an answer.

**I have not seen anyone enter or leave his apartment that he treats like a partner… Have you?**

I shook my head and Arjic smiled and bit his bottom lip. He was so cute! And Orion thought he was interested in me, what an idiot.

“I know it may seem like odd advice coming from me given how you have both only really known me when I am single but cherish every moment in a new relationship and as it grows into an established and longer relationship. You never know when that may be taken away from you… Like Theala was” Luca suddenly said and I sat up a little more, as did Arjic.

“Theala?” Arjic questioned his voice soft and low, he was a lot better at sounding caring and parental; I usually just sounded sarcastic and came across as an uncaring bitch.

“This may surprise you, especially you Sera, but I was married. A few months after I last worked with you, before the Red Legion attacked, I met an Awoken Warlock; she was funny, bubbly, full of life and a flirt just like me. I adored her instantly, and her eyes… They put the stars to shame, they really did. We were married within four months” Luca said and I smiled but then felt it slowly fade.

“The Cabala attacked five months after we last worked together...” I muttered and Luca looked at me and nodded, letting out a shaky sigh as he did so.

“She died in my arms; I have her Warlock Bond in my apartment… I have been trying to figure out how to incorporate it into my cloak but each attempt has failed” Luca said and I let out a silent sigh and looked to Arjic who was looking at Luca with such a sad expression.

“I just, I don’t think I have moved on from her death, I have just gone back to what I was doing before I met her… flirting and hoping I meet someone who completes me, but I doubt I will meet anyone half as amazing as she was… I just. I don’t know how to cope in reality” Luca chuckled and I took a deep breath. I had gotten lucky, Zavala had come along and helped me cope, granted I was not quite as good at coping as I could be, but I wasn’t relying on alcohol half as much as I would have done had he not entered my life.

“Luca, I know it is hard to watch someone you love die… But flirting isn’t a way to cope. Maybe you should take some time after all this is over and figure out where you go from here. Search out Eva and see if she can help you put her bond into your cloak. Because flirting the way you are, it isn’t great and it just annoys those around you. It isn’t healthy Luca, and I should know about unhealthy coping, wine and vodka was how I coped before my new partner came along” I said and Luca nodded.

“Thank you Sera and I know… It doesn’t excuse how I have acted or the flirting inappropriately and… I will, I will find a way to honour her and move forward without pushing those around me away” Luca said and I nodded and smiled at him.

“And if you ever need any help just let me know Luca; we are here for each other. We are a Fireteam after all” I said and Luca nodded before moving to check on the food.

“Well Fireteam, who wants food?” Luca asked, smiling up at me and Arjic, the smile saying a lot more than ‘food is ready’ and I found myself feeling genuinely happy for a moment. It was moments like this that built up the trust and bonds that made a Fireteam, that made friendships.

“Dish up an extra one, I will run it over to Asher, the man needs to eat even if he doesn’t think he does” I said and Luca glanced at me but did as I had asked and passed me two bowls.

“Cheers, I will be back in a bit” I said picking up two spoons as I passed by them on my way to see the grumpy old Awoken Warlock.

As I got closer I could hear him muttering things under his breath as he worked on the machine. He looked so tired… Was he really as old as he looked or was it simply a lack of sleep and the stress of having to save his own life before the Vex technology inside him consumed him entirely?

“Food. You need to eat. Like you said, you aren’t a robot” I said holding the bowl and a spoon out for him. He simply regarded it for a moment before taking it and the bowl and starting to eat it without too much glaring at me.

“How is it going?” I asked nodding towards the machine in piece on his little work station before taking a mouthful of my stew. It actually didn’t taste too bad.

“It is going to plan, once I have made the adjustments you will be able to make your way to Nessus and carry out your plan. Though, a word of warning Serafina… Make sure you are not putting others lives at risk unnecessarily, if they could be safe doing something else somewhere else ensure they are” Asher said and I regarded him carefully for a moment as he ate the stew.

“What happened to your Fireteam? I know Eris was part of it and up to after the Red Legion attack we all know what happened to her but what about the other Hunter you worked with? Where are they?” I asked. Asher took his turn to carefully regard me before answering my query.

“She died. I was still in the Tower medical bay when the attack on the Moon took place. I am sure you are aware it was a massacre, so many lives lost, if they had listened, if they city leaders hadn’t pushed the Vanguard to attack. We’d be much stronger than we are now had the Consensus not made such an idiotic decision” Asher practically hissed, like he did when he was annoyed at me for making too much noise on Io despite being on the other side of the damned rock to him.

“The Vex took my arm and infected my Ghost, the Consensus killed hundred in their foolishness, I believed they had wiped my Fireteam out. Thankfully Eris survived, crawled out of that pit alive but changed forever… I guess we both made the same mistake. We led our Fireteams into situations we could not hope to comprehend; situations we vastly underestimated and it cost us both dearly. Maybe you can avoid such a fate. Maybe you can save them” Asher said looking over in the direction of our little camp. I just took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“Once you have finished your adjustments let me know… Just me” I said and Asher looked at me for a long moment before nodding and I turned and made my way back towards the camp. Orion following me closely, studying me carefully.

**Sera, what are you doing?**

“Making sure Luca and Arjic are spared the same fate as Jackal” I said as we approached the camp, Orion let out a sad sigh and fell behind me a little but I heard his next words loud and clear.

**Oh Sera… When will you learn you don’t have to be only one to save us all…**


	23. Chapter 23 - Fractured Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zavala is worried having not heard anything from Sera whilst Ikora has some information he is interested in. Sera, Luca and Arjic meanwhile are in a spot of trouble on Io. What could have possibly gone wrong this time?

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Zavala – The Tower – Three days after Sera’s departure  
_____________________________________________________________

I made my way through the Tower Courtyard and round the corridors to the hanger bay. Cayde was stood where I expected him to be, that damned chicken in his arms.

“Ah, Zavala, my good friend. What can I do for you on this fine morning?” Cayde asked as I walked over, the chicken eyeing up Neptune as we got closer. Thankfully though it stayed in his arms and did not try and take a bite out of my Ghost.

“Have you heard from Serafina? I would have expected her to have checked in with at least one of the Vanguard by now” I asked and Cayde shook his head. Not the response I was looking for, it had been three full days since she left for Io. The only communication since then had been a request for Luca to join her and Arjic as Asher Mir required them to enter the Pyramidion and kill Brakion and collect certain pieces of Vex technology.

“Though Ikora did mention one of her Warlocks prouncing round on Io saw our favourite crack pot scientist conducting a rather odd experiment with some other Guardians, even had their Ghost film part of it. Probably testing out the machine they needed building to do the weird reality bending thing so they can put an end to Jackal’s suffering” Cayde said and I nodded to him. Ikora had been rather busy yesterday so I did not get an opportunity to speak with her properly, though hopefully that would not be the case today. Especially if she had footage that may give me and idea of what Sera was currently doing, or at least had been doing.

**_Ikora is in the Bazaar and not currently busy with official duties, perhaps we should make our way over to her now?_ **

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea. If you do receive any communications be sure to inform me Cayde” I said the Hunter nodded. His optics watching me carefully for a moment before his attention was turned to the chicken in his arms who had started to get fidgety.

“Just remember Hunters in the field don’t check in all that often. Even with the request to be a bit more vocal about their locations some are still staying silent” Cayde commented as I turned to walked away. “We don’t do well in packs for too long. We like fresh air, space to roam free and cause havoc” he then added and I turned back round to face him.

“Are you on about Hunters or your chicken?” I asked and Cayde looked up at me and just smiled. Hunters were indeed odd creatures. Especially Cayde... He was very, very odd.

_____________________________________________________________  
Ikora – The Bazaar – Talking to Hawthorne  
_____________________________________________________________

I stood talking with Hawthorne when I noticed Zavala enter the Bazaar, something Hawthorne had noticed as well. “I see our esteemed leader requires your attention” Hawthorne dryly commented, I simply nodded in response, she seemed determined not to like Zavala, as if doing so would somehow undermine her beliefs about the Vanguard and her morals.

“Good morning Hawthorne, Ikora” Zavala said in greeting, Hawthorne only acknowledging him with a simple nod.

“Morning Commander, what can I help you with?” I asked and he looked to me, an expression that let me know he had business to discuss, however, there was a worried look in his eyes, something was eating away at him.

“Cayde has informed me one of your Warlocks witnessed an experiment conducted by Asher Mir on Io and provided you with footage of it” he said and I smiled and nodded. I should have known, he was worried about Serafina.

“Yes they did, Aristotle, send Neptune the footage. I would advise against watching it in a public place due to its sensitive nature” I warned and he simply nodded before looking to Neptune.

**_I have the footage_ **

“Good, I shall let you both carry on with your day” he said before turning and heading towards the exit of the Bazaar.

“Is this to do with the rouge Guardian on Nessus you were telling me about?” Hawthorne asked and I nodded.

“Serafina and Luca have gone after him with one of my Warlocks called Arjic. Serafina, with the help of Colonel the chicken, came up with a plan to use Vex technology against Jackal” I said and Hawthorne nodded, though she also let out a small chuckle.

“What is it with Hunters and Vex technology... Anyway, hopefully they can bring the whole saga to an end without the loss of anymore Guardians” she commented and I nodded. Hopefully they could, Nessus and Failsafe were important to our continued rebuild of the city and humanity as a whole.

_Ikora, you have an incoming transmission from Arjic, he says it is urgent_

“Very well Aristotle, let’s hear it” I said and my Ghost nodded and began to play the message.

 _“Ikora, this is an urgent message... We are on Nessus but we have a problem. We got separated, I am back with Failsafe but I do not know where Sera and Luca are. Or Jackal for that matter”_ Arjic’s voice rather urgently and speedily said. I just looked to Hawthorne who looked concerned, this was not good.

_____________________________________________________________  
Luca – On Nessus – In a tree with Sera  
_____________________________________________________________

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, I sure took one hell of a fall getting away from Jackal... God my head...

**Sera, he is coming to!**

“Keep it down Orion... Luca, Luca, can you hear me? Come on, say something, even if it is a stupid comment about my eyes” Sera’s voice stated and I managed to focus my gaze up and at her.

“I can’t see those pretty eyes of yours behind that helmet... damned lack of breathable air” I managed, my mouth was unbelievably dry.

“You had me worried for a while there Luca, it was one hell of a drop. Getting down to you was not exactly easy either” Sera said, helping me slowly sit up... were we in a tree?

** She also complained about how heavy you are... I told her it was all down to the doughnuts  **

“It’s the armour... Not me. Anyway, how’d you get me up here, and where is Arjic?” I asked and Sera sat back and looked at me for a moment, well at least I thought she was looking at me. You could never tell when someone had a helmet on.

“Jackal separated me and Arjic, Arjic headed back towards Failsafe whilst I went after you. Jackal followed Arjic for a while and I managed to get down to you, drag you back up that ledge and part way back to Failsafe before driving into him and having to make a quick getaway and hide up here. I don’t know what happened to Arjic, I daren’t try and contact in case he is hiding and I end up giving his position away” Sera said and I nodded, that made sense, though it left us a man down.

“How are you feeling anyway? You took a pretty nasty hit to the head” Sera said and I took a moment to just sit and listen to my body. No pain, couldn’t feel any blood or other fluids seeping out of me, everything seemed to move as it should.

“I feel fine... How far do you think I fell?” I queried and Sera shrugged before looking to Dom.

 ** You fell the equevlant of six stories hitting a ledge and falling unconscious for roughly another three stories. You broke several bones and ruptured a few organs on impact with another ledge which is where you came to rest. Both myself and Orion worked on healing your injuries to the best of our abilities. However if you exert yourself too much you may find you become sore... You really need proper medical attention from the trained health care professionals stationed at the Tower.  
** **Dom is correct. Maybe it is best to contact Arjic and inform him you are abandoning the mission. We’ve lost a piece of the device, you are injured and Arjic is in an unknown location... It is not exactly going to plan.**

“We are not abandoning this mission Orion. Now, here is my plan. I still have the remote and one piece of the device, Arjic also still has his as he never set his piece up meaning there is one piece still lying there waiting to be retrieved. We go, pick up that last piece, find Arjic, re-group, re-plan things with Failsafe and then go from there” Sera said and I nodded, I liked that idea. It was a good idea.

“I agree. This needs to end. Jackal is dead and he needs to be laid to rest” I said and Sera just looked at me a moment before nodding. I suddenly became acutely aware of the fact she was a lot closer to Jackal than I was, and she was here when the Fallen took him... this was a lot more personal for her.

“Sera, the Fallen murdered Jackal, they turned him into a killer, into something else, someone else... We need to put him to rest, give him the dignity they stole back and ensure they never do it again. OK?” I asked and she looked at me and nodded, letting out a sad sigh.

“OK, let’s lay him to rest” she said and I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, she then placed her hand over it. We had each other’s backs, now we just needed to find Arjic.

** Incoming communication from the Tower... It is Cayde **

_“Luca, you best be alive out there, Ikora got a message off your Warlock buddy. He is with Failsafe. Told him to sit tight. I can’t get through to Sera and Orion, let me know if they are OK”_ Cayde’s voice said and I looked to Dom.

“Open a channel” I said and he nodded.

“Cayde, it is Luca, I am with Sera and Orion, all safe. We will head to Failsafe soon, we just need to pick up a piece of Asher’s device that got left behind” I said and there was some static before Cayde’s voice came over the comms.

 _“Glad to hear it. Ikora is currently informing Arjic you are safe and will be with him shortly. You two take care out there... You hear me Luca... The signal... Luca... Can you he...”_ Cayde said as his voice turned to static.

**I believe the Fallen or Vex are using a device to block communication. That could cause issues, we would have no way to call for back-up**

“Look, at least we know Arjic is safe, we can go grab the last piece of the device and then head to Failsafe via orbit, because I do not fancy going via Sparrow or foot, not if you are still healing. And also we don’t even know where Jackal is” Sera said and I nodded, slowly pulling myself to my feet.

** You feel OK Luca? **

I just smiled and nodded at Dom... Boy did my left side ache...

_____________________________________________________________  
Sera – On Nessus – In a tree with Luca still  
_____________________________________________________________

I stood up, smiling at Luca, not that he could see it. “OK, it is about half an hours walk back to the site the device is at, Sparrows would draw to much attention, so this small walk and then a ship back to Failsafe... OK? Do you think you can manage that?” I asked Luca. Yes I had just said we’d avoid long walks but it would be a good two hour walk back to Failsafe at a steady place and with sticking to cover, something I did not want to put Luca through whilst he was injured. But half an hour would not be too bad... Hopefully.

“I can manage that no problems... So, lead the way” Luca replied and I nodded and headed down the tree and back the way I had brought Luca, both of us sticking to the undergrowth and lying low when Vex or Fallen were nearby. And annoyingly that was a lot.

“You doing OK Luca?" I asked as a band of Pikes drove past, my fellow Hunter simply nodding. I internally sighed; of course he was not going to tell me if he was in pain or in need of five minutes, he was as stubborn and proud Hunter like myself. However there was one major difference... our species or sub-species... or however Awoken were classed.

_____

_I reached out with my mind, slowly and gently circling his, I did not need to create a link to be able to sense his pain... He was not hiding it well internally._

_______

“We are about five minutes away... Let’s get a little closer and watch the area just to make sure we are alone” I said glancing back at Luca who once more only nodded in response. Probably not trusting his voice to be able to mask the pain he was feeling.

 ** Someone on he sensors... Orion you picking them up too?  
** **I am, in the clearing the device is in... Stay low and stay quiet, the mysterious comms interference is messing with my long-range radar**

“OK, low and quiet... Stay close” I whispered and both me and Luca moved silently through the undergrowth and shrubbery till the opening was in sight.

“Fuck, he is stood waiting” I hissed and Luca placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked back at him.

“I draw him away and you go in there, grab the device and head to Failsafe. As soon as he is a safe distance away I’ll do the same” Luca said but before I could object he ran out from our cover and towards Jackal who spotted him immediately.

“HEY OLD BUDDY! YOU’VE BEEN IN A BIT OF A BAD MOOD RECENTLY! THOUGHT A GAME OF CHASE WOULD HELP CHEER YOU UP! COME GET ME!” Luca yelled at him before starting to run off... However he was nowhere near as fast as he usually was, he was suffering a lot more than he was letting on and it was going to get him killed!

**Jackal isn’t following him Sera... What do we do?**

“Hope my made up on the spot plan works. I need you to take us to orbit if he spots us. I need you to have my back here Orion, our lives depend on your judgement right now” I said and Orion looked at me, his expression one of shock and worry.

**Sera, what is your plan?**

“Link with him disorientate him and grab the device from right under his metal nose” I said and Orion’s expression was now one of worry and panic.

**OK... And if it doesn’t work?**

“Then we are screwed... You ready?” I asked and Orion tentatively nodded. I then took a deep breath, closed my eyes and focused on Jackal.

_____

_I could sense a mind, but it was fractured, it was as if it was not a full mind... bits were missing, there were gaps in the memory... Gaps in the knowledge the mind retained..._

_Could I even link with such a fractured mind? Or would it just alert him to my presence?_

_I took a minute, focused in on the one stable piece of the mind, potentially the only stable piece, I could find and attempted to create a link... But I couldn’t... Why?_

_ARGH!_

_______

I found myself back in my own mind suddenly and in my ship. Orion next to me, a look of concern on his face.

**Sera... Are you OK? You became very distressed suddenly, crying out in pain and clutching our head... You almost ripped your helmet off. You’d have suffocated in seconds.**

“I don’t know what happened, his mind was a mess, only one stable memory or thought, and even then I am not sure if it was even a memory or a thought... When I tried to link with it I couldn’t, it was like it pushed me back, mentally attacking me to force me away... Something I was not prepared for” I sighed; I felt both physically and mentally drained right now.

**Do you think he looked into your mind? Do you think he knows the plan?**

I shrugged, Orion made a valid point though, if he knew our plan here was no way we could use the device now, especially as we were still a piece down. Meaning all the trouble we went through on Io was for nothing.

“Do you know where Luca is?” I asked and Orion’s expression relaxed a little and he nodded.

**He got a message through, he is at Failsafe, we are en-route now**

“Good. We need a new plan, one that won’t end up with one or all of us dead” I sighed and Orion remained silent as we flew over Nessus.

**Just in case... Do you want to make that video again? We’ve got time...**


	24. Chapter 24 - Icy & Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final fight against Jackal. Will they all make it out?

_____________________________________________________________  
Failsafe – Nessus – Watching Sera, Luca and Arjic talk  
_____________________________________________________________

“We could just try and sneak up on him whilst someone distracts him. Grab a blade and ram it through him then go home” The Warlock... Arjic... Stupid name... said.

The Captain shook her head, she was smart, she knew a bad plan when she heard one, especially from a stupidly named Warlock... Though he may have other redeeming qualities... Maybe... Most likely... Not sure...

“We just need a plan, a good solid plan that isn’t go home, there are too many people counting on us” Luca sighed. He was more sensible. More like the Captain than the other one... Good job...

Though...  
Hmmm...  
Yes...  
This...

This is a very familiar scene... My crew once sat round me talking about having to make a plan work, that going home was not possible and, well... they are all dead... Yes, all perished trying to save themselves... Though now my captain is taking charge, no splintering of groups... No taking helmets off.

...........

“Captain, I have detected increased activity outside of the Exodus Black” I informed her, she looked to me and then to the hallway leading in... Silence...

Then noise...

“Gunfire, sounds like the Fallen and Vex are not happy neighbours” he one like The Captain said... He was funny... He thinks he is...

“I have raised my shields. Both the Fallen and Vex are more active in their assaults on the other than ever before. They are also closer so... We are all going to die... So, I have taken the appropriate action” I informed the group. My captain nodded, obviously pleased with my actions... Favourite AI... Indeed.

“Captain... He is here. But something is interfering with my sensors so I can not inform you of his exact location” I stated immediately upon the odd Guardian appearing... Captain did not seem happy... Because he’ll kill us all.

“I’m going to go look, you guys hang tight” the Captain said. The others nodding, clearly inferior and scared... The Captain was a very bold Captain... It is her job... And she is good at it...

_____________________________________________________________  
Sera – At the Exodus Black – Figuring Things Out  
_____________________________________________________________

I slowly walked down the little corridor entrance than led to Failsafes’ chamber, glad to see the shield functioning as it should. But I remained cautious, things had not been going well so I was not going to be taking any unnecessary risks right now, not without a plan.

**Over there, coming straight this way...**

I looked from the warring Fallen and Vex, who were really going at it, to the other side of the clearing, Jackal was marching straight for us. “OK, we need a plan, and we need one now” I commented, quickly inspecting the shield, hopefully we had time. Hopefully.

I made my way back to the others, Arjic pacing whilst Luca leant against an old console. “Jackal is coming straight for us, our options are orbit or fight in a confined space” I said and both looked at me. Both probably as worried as I was.

 **Will the shield hold?  
****Uncertain, it depends on how much power they throw at it**  
****OK, we do really, really need to come up with a plan, and a good one

“You could climb out. You would be able to climb through the hull plating and on top of the crashed and ruined wreckage of my ship” Failsafe ever so cheerily stated. At least we had another way out.

“I have an idea that may just work. We climb out onto the hull, Luca, as he is injured, stays up there whilst we climb down into the middle of a full blown battle and distract Jackal. Luca then lines a shot up, puts him down and one of us grabs his blades and finishes the job, hopefully... Do we even know if they will kill him?” Arjic said and before I could reply Failsafe spoke up.

“Maybe he is not such an idiot after all... Your plan should work if carried out effectively” she said. Not sounding as cheery as earlier.

“OK, Luca, you in?” I asked, this was our best plan since reuniting here so we may as well go with it. Especially as we were running out of options.

“Sure, though I’ll need a leg up, I am not feeling as flexible as usual” my fellow Hunter commented and I could not help but smirk. Good job he couldn’t tell or he’d get the idea he is funny.

_______________________________________________________________________  
Arjic – Climbing out of the Exodus Black – Helping the less flexible Luca  
_______________________________________________________________________

Naturally Sera was the first to reach the top whilst I helped Luca by pushing him up when he needed it, becoming a little too familiar with how firm his Gluteus Maximus was. Though despite our slower pace it was still a quick climb.

Once all three of us were stood atop the hull of the Exodus Blacks remains we all took a moment to take in the chaos unfolding below. It looked like the Vex had tried to re-establish a foot hold in the area and the Fallen had no taken kindly to their plan.

“OK, I am assuming you know how to use this, she fired bullets of arc energy, now from what I’ve been told and from what I have theorised arc energy will not only do more damage but keep him incapacitated for longer. I believe it is harder to defend against something you master as you are not used to being out of control of it” I said handing my sniper rifle to Luca who took hold of it, eyeing it up carefully.

“He’s right, so aim for the head; I don’t need him getting back up quickly if I am stood next to him” Sera said and Luca nodded, finding a position from which he could fire from and getting comfy.

“OK, I am ready when you guys are... Let’s end this and lay our friend to rest” he said and I looked to Sera who gave a rather fierce nod. If she was ready I was.

 **Before you two go risking your lives... I want to make it known I have loved being your Ghost and serving with all of you. Hopefully we’ll get to do it again**  
_BEEP!  
_ **Yes, I concur... Now, let’s do this**

Sera nodded and begun to climb down the side of the hull, quickly reaching the bottom and dealing with a few Fallen before moving round to try and spot Jackal. I reached the floor just as she located the Titan and was antagonising him into chasing her into a group of Vex who were trying to put an end to my existence... I guess if we could use him to take a few Fallen and Vex out first that would not be a bad thing.

Sadly Jackal would not chase her into our enemies but did chaser her round one of the chunks of debris, coming to close for comfort to her at points.

_BEEP!_

“I know, shoot Vex before they kill me” I groaned as I took a couple of hits to the chest. “Thankfully I have a Vex repellent” I muttered as I charged forward, taking a few more hits before pushing myself into the air a few feet from the Vex and summoning the majestic power of the void and allowing it to burst forth and rain down on the Vex, desimating their stupid metal bodies and sending them...

“ARGH!”

_BEEP! BEEP!_

_____________________________________________________________  
Luca – On Nessus – Sat a-top the Exodus Black Hull  
_____________________________________________________________

“ARJIC! Sera, Arjic is down! Arjic is down!” I yelled as the Fallen sniper got a lucky shot on the damaged armour protecting his chest. His body hitting the ground limp whilst Ansel was waiting for aid with the revival.

I looked over to Sera, she’d noticed thankfully and dodged past Jackal, running past both Fallen and Vex towards our downed comrade. Jackal following her...

“Hurry Sera!” I yelled down before looking down the scope, trying to line up a shot on Jackal. “Fucking Fallen, keep getting in the way” I hissed as I tried to keep my scope trained on Jackal. Fallen Vandals and Captains darting around him, keeping me from getting a solid head shot lined up.

I looked back down to Sera, she was seconds off having revived Arjic when Jackal was suddenly behind her, both blades in his hands, ready to strike... To kill both in one swing!

“SERA! ARJIC! NO!” I screamed out as Arjic was resurrected and Jackal swung at them, it was like time slowed down... I was about to see two friends killed by another right in front of me... And there was nothing I could do...

** What the hell... **

Dom commented as someone suddenly charged in the way...

_____________________________________________________________  
Sera – On Nessus – Just resurrected Arjic  
_____________________________________________________________

As I resurrected Arjic Luca yelled out and I glanced to him and then behind me, Jackal was stood there ready to attack and end both our lives.

I just closed my eyes and shifted my body to shield Arjic... Maybe, if I could save him, they could end this, prevent more deaths occurring and put us both to rest. I waited and felt a breeze go by and took a breath in waiting for the impact.

...

I opened my eyes and was more than a little surprised to see I was still alive... and inside a Titan’s bubble.

“Been told you needed a hand... Looks like I got here just in time” Sloane said, looking back at me, probably smirking at me from underneath her helmet.

“I won’t lie I am a little shocked to see you here, but I ain’t going to complain” I chuckled, bloody Titans always surprising me.

**You are my new favourite Titan... Don’t tell Zavala...**

Orion commented and Sloane tilted her head to the side slightly before looking back at Jackal, he had backed up, taking in the new arrival to the fight, probably figuring out the best order to kill us in and how to do it...

“So, Huntress, what is the plan?” Sloane asked and I looked back at Arjic and Ansel who both nodded at me.

“Luca is ready to take a shot once Jackal is in the open and still enough as we need a head shot... so we need to lure him into a more open space not obstructed by a Titan bubble, once again not that I am complaining, or by debris or the Vex and Fallen. But, our enemies are not making that easy so we need to thin the heard at the same time, so we need to watch our own backs and each others... Once he is down someone will take his blades and finish him off” I said and Sloane nodded, drew her weapon and nodded.

“Very well, let’s do this” the Titan commented, her smirk audible. That woman was always excited to be able to fire her weapon or punch something.

_____________________________________________________________  
Cayde – The Tower – Watching Sloane’s Telemetry  
_____________________________________________________________

I stood watching the screens, vaguely aware of Ikora, Zavala, Shaxx and good old Saladin stood watching as well. The only thing that took my eyes from the screen was a set of footsteps.

“Hawthorne, come to enjoy the show too I see... May need to install a viewing gallery” I commented, my poncho wearing friend glancing to me and then back to the screen, trying to ascertain what was happening.

“We never should have let her carry out this plan, we should have called them back as soon as the first plan failed” Zavala sighed. Great... Now he was going to let his heart do all the thinking. God knows how Ikora talked him out of going and into sending Sloane.

 _Jackal need to be stopped or more Guardians will be lost, we may also lose Failsafe... A vital ally._  
Exactly, and as much as I find myself rolling my eye at her comments we need her, both of her.  
**_They are correct, both about her ability to annoy and importance as an ally_**

“Sloane’s telemetry keeps getting fuzzy when she gets close to that Captain. He could be the source of the communications block” Saladin suddenly commented and I looked back to the screen, carefully studying the Captain when he appeared in the shot.

“He has some awfully hefty looking equipment on his belt... Sloane, can you hear us? We need that Captain, his belt... Or both, gone” I said down the comms, hoping she heard.

Is it just me or did that sound slightly like you asked her to undo his belt or kill him... No wonder people think you are weird. Asking people to undress Fallen Captains. 

“Cayde’s comments aside it looks like Luca is getting a few good shots in on the Vex and Fallen. Hopefully he isn’t using up his ammo” Ikora commented and I looked back at my fellow Vanguard.

“Luca hasn’t fired. You can see him... there... Following Jackal round with his scope” I said, with Sloane pummelling her fist into the face of a Vandal over and over again. Luca visible in the background looking down at Jackal who was darting round after Arjic.

“Then who is the other shooter?” Shaxx asked moving forward and also watching the screen carefully.

“Sloane, Kill that Captain. We need to establish proper communication!” Zavala snapped. Boy he was getting tetchy, maybe Ikora should have let him go. Then we wouldn’t have to put up with him being so moody... Hopefully Sera could wrap this up fast and get her little Hunter butt home.

“Finally” Ikora sighed as Sloane turned on the Captain, putting bullet after bullet into his face before his head exploded when a snipers bullet penetrated his head. The weight of the falling body crushing the already damaged equipment blocking the signal and allowing us to see Sloane’s telemetry more clearly and begin to set up a full communication link...

“There... Just above the tunnel you enter the crash site through from the Glade of Echoes” Shaxx commented, the form of a Guardian crouched with a sniper rifle looking down on the battle.

All five Ghosts linked

“Who’s the fifth?” I asked, looking over the telemetry, the second sniper, the fifth Guardian. Who were they?

 _“Did you really think I would trust my assistant not to mess this up? Especially after I intercepted the message sent to Sloane. I put a lot of hard work into that device and they never even used it. How could I expect them to finish the job if they couldn’t set such a simple device up!”_ Asher’s voice said, I turned to Ikora who just smirked.

“Or you just didn’t want to admit you care for Serafina and her Fireteam” my favourite Warlock chuckled.

_____________________________________________________________  
Sera – On Nessus – Fighting Vex, Fallen and Jackal  
_____________________________________________________________

I dodged behind some cover, trying to get my breath back and listening to the radio chatter. Mostly between Luca and Asher, both bickering, both a pain in the ass right now.

 _“I can’t get a good shot lined up, he is moving so much”_ Luca complained.

 _“Maybe you are just shaky... One benefit of a Vex arm, I never tremble when lining up a shot”_ Asher snorted. I just glanced round whilst they kept insulting one another.

Arjic was fighting back Vex and doing his best to avoid Fallen snipers whilst Sloane was going to town on Fallen after Fallen after Fallen, but both were showing signs of tiring. Arjic was a lot less graceful in his melee attacks and Sloane seemed to be taking longer and longer on each poor Fallen that got within her reach.

“Asher, Luca, just line up a shot and take it, we don’t have all day!” I snapped down the comms, activating my Arcstaff as a group of Vex materialised in front of me. Each vanishing in a flurry of sparks, the only evidence they ever existed was the crackling sound left in the air where they once stood for a few seconds after their demise.

 _“He’s watching Sera! Now!”_ Luca’s voice called over the comms as my Arcstaff fizzled out and I came to a stop, looking over to Jackal just in time to see his helmet shatter as both Asher and Luca hit their mark, metal flying from his head like it was a shrapnel grenade as his body hit the floor.

**Sera! Behind!**

I spun round just as the Minotaur’s arm connected with my abdomen, sending me flying towards Jackal’s body, skidding through the water and coming to a stop next to the body of my old friend.

 _“Grab a blade! Grab a blade!”_ Cayde’s voice called and I scrambled onto my hands and knees and grabbed one of the blades before starting to reach over and grab the second one...

“Hyena...” I muttered as I paused, Jackal’s head was split open like the Traveller, wiring exposed as well as Hyena who was hooked up to a lot of that wiring as well as a few pieces of what looked like Fallen technology.

“What have they done to you” I whispered, but before I could gather myself and grab the last blade I felt a pain in my chest as Hyena whirred back to life and I was pushed back by a resurrected Jackal. Thankfully he had used his unarmed arm.

**Sera, I think he wants his other blade back**

Orion commented and I nodded as I found myself engaging in a sword fight with him.

“Fucking hell! He is so powerful even for a Titan!” I gasped as I blocked his blade but was forced back by the force of the impact. There was no way I could match his strength... No way.

_____________________________________________________________  
Arjic – On Nessus – Fighting for his life  
_____________________________________________________________

The Fallen and Vex were starting to thin in numbers thankfully, though I was now running low on both ammo and energy.

_Beep... Beep_

I looked to my Ghost and then over to where he was looking.

“... Sera...” I gasped, she was engaged in a sword fight with Jackal. And by the looks of it not doing too well, he had her on the back foot.

“COME ON SERA! PUSH BACK! TJHERE IS NO WAY HE CAN OUT-MOVE YOU! USE THAT!” I yelled over as Jackal swung at Sera again and again and again, forcing her to block and dodge, tiring herself out faster and faster.

After a second a crackling sound filled my ears as the comms started to be used once again... Why hadn’t I thought to use them...

 _“Sera... Remember our little chat in the tree. The Jackal we knew, the one we raided that hospital with and laughed with over breakfast is dead. He died when the Fallen turned him into their puppet, into their killing machine”_ Luca’s voice said... He sounded very emotional in that moment. Sadness and anger filled his voice.

 _“Sera. You are aware Titans are big on honour and dignity. Just as Hunters are. You need to give Jackal his back. Remember you may not be as strong as he is but you are agile and quick. Remember. Hunters are the master of blades, show us that is the case”_ Zavala added, his voice deep and determined, though there was something else there as well... But what?

_BEEP!_

I quickly glanced round and went wide eyed as a Goblin appeared before me. Without thinking I thrust my gun into its face sending it stumbling back before it fell to the ground...

“Please say you recorded that Ansel” I sighed, my Ghost nodded before looking back to Sera, rolling his eye at me.

She was starting to really fight back, pushing forward more and more. Managing to lay some hits and glancing blows on the Titan. Though none stopped him, they only slowed him down. At least that was something.

_____________________________________________________________  
Orion – On Nessus – Closely monitoring Sera and Jackal  
_____________________________________________________________

**Sera. You have to strike the head. Cut off the connection to Hyena’s shell. What is left of him is providing the ability to resurrect Jackal’s body. Neither of them are alive anymore, at least not as we define it.**

“That means getting closer than I am now... And you know what this is too close for comfort as it is Orion” Sera replied, dodging a swing from Jackal and managing to swing her arm back round and cut his side. A warm and familiar sensation rushing through me as she did so.

“Come on Orion. Any other ideas?” Sera sighed as she swung a Jackal, the blade bouncing off his blade as he managed to block the attack just in time.

**Every time you wound him it is like you draw light from him. I can feel it... Injure him as much as possible. I will work on a way to use it against him.**

“OK... But why do I have the feeling I am still going to have to get even closer?” Sera nervously chuckled. Dodging what was a frankly desperate swing off of Jackal that left him open for attack. Something Sera took full advantage of as she slashed deeply across his chest plate. Drawing more light out and into herself and me.

“Orion...” Sera rather bluntly stated and I sighed. No ignoring her last question.

**You will still have to get close. Both of us will in fact.**

This cause Sera to let out a groan of frustration as she carried on attacking Jackal.

_____________________________________________________________  
Asher Mir – On Nessus – Intently monitoring the battle below  
_____________________________________________________________

I glanced at the little screen beside me. It was picking up all the data my Ghost was collecting and displaying it in real time... Simply put it was fascinating.

Every time my assistant laid a hit on the Fallen puppet light was transferred from him, down the sword and into my assistant. This seemed to make the puppet slower and weaker and my assistant stronger and faster.

“Does that mean... I wonder. Would a fatal blow transfer all the light he possesses to her? Can a Guardian handle that or would she be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of light?” I mused. My Ghost glancing to me and then back to the battle unfolding below us.

“What is her Ghost doing... Focus on him...” I stated a the readings from her Ghost came up on the screen I realised he had come to the same conclusion or at least a similar one.

 _“Is it just me or is Orion glowing?”_ Sloane’s voice asked over the comms and I looked from my screen to the Ghost. He was indeed glowing.

“It looks like... A shield” I replied. Glancing back to the scans confirmed it. The shield soon began to encompass my assistant as well.

“Oh, so that is their plan... Typical. Act now and think later” I sighed getting up properly and starting to make my way down.

It would be a spectacular climax and I wanted a better seat to the show.

_____________________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower – Watching the telemetry intently  
_____________________________________________________________

After a minute the glowing shield stopped expanding and Sera suddenly darted forward, straight at Jackal.

“What on Earth is she doing!” Cayde cried out though before I could look away his sword hit the shield and simply disintegrated. It was like the shield was engulfing i and destroying it inch by inch.

A familiar crunching sound filled the room suddenly and Cayde flinched as the sound of the sword driving through Jackal’s helmet and head left us all in silence... A spark from inside his head seemed to signal his death.

It was over...

Though a second later the shield shattered and Sera let out a pained gasp.

“NO!” I gasped stepping forward...

The sickening sound of metal piercing armour, sinking into flesh and shattering bone filled my ears as Orion looked to the last few inches of the blade Jackal had been wielding sinking ino Sera’s chest.

“Sloane! Get her back here ASAP!” Cayde called down the comms whilst Ikora asked Hawthorne to alert the medical bay.

“Zavala... Zavala... For fuck sakes why does it all go tits up right at the end” Shaxx’s voice rang out. All I could do was watch on.

_____________________________________________________________  
Sera – On Nessus – Staring as the blade in her chest  
_____________________________________________________________

The pain was unbearable... All I could think was that this must be what others describe as white hot searing pain...

**Sera... Sera! SERA! Oh Traveller! Help! I can’t do anything! HELP HER! SERA! PLEASE HOLD ON! DON’T LEAVE ME! PLEASE! SERA!**

I could hear Orion, his voice was so full of fear and panic... I just wanted to tell him it was all OK... But I didn’t think it was.

Hmmm... That was odd. I was sure I was falling a moment ago... Someone was behind me... Their armour was not as hard as others... A Warlock? Arjic?

__

_You’ll be fine... Just hold on... You’ll be fine_

____

Why was everything getting icy and dark? I wasn’t fond of the cold...


	25. Chapter 25 - Gathering Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it. The end of the Jackal saga.  
> Though it is not the last you will see of Sera, Luca and Arjic and their Ghosts. I will do more once the Curse of Oiris DLC drops and before then I will also being doing a Q&A chapter. So any questions you have for our three heroes let me know. I will be doing it for the fourth of December so six days from me posting this.

_____________________________________________________________  
Zavala – The Tower – Sat in Sera’s apartment  
_____________________________________________________________

**_The video is ready to play... Do you want me to start it?_ **

I just sat staring at the screen. I could not believe I was about to watch it... It had been a week since Neptune informed me Orion had sent him the video file... Almost a month and a half since it had been filmed.

“I don’t know if I can, it feels wrong somehow” I commented and Neptune looked at me for a moment. His rather intense gaze actually made me feel uncomfortable.

**_Zavala, she made this for you to watch, she requested it be watched, honour that request. Honour her._ **

I sighed and nodded, Neptune then gave me a small smile and played the video.

_So if you are watching this, I’m dead. I just hope you were not present or had to witness my death... Not that our telemetry is working... And knowing you, well I wouldn’t be surprised to find you knocking on Failsafes door..._

_Look, I am no good at these things, at goodbyes..._

_So know that leaving for Io that night was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I wanted to stay, stay in your arms until the sun came up and then some... But alas I am flying over Nessus._

_Just, take care of yourself darling... Remember to smile and laugh, to go drinking with Shaxx, make stupid bets with Cayde, have philosophical talks with Ikora and... admire the view. You have the code to my apartment. It is yours now._

_Oh, and sorry I left you to clean up the mess the chicken made..._

_One more thing before I go..._

_Zavala... I love you._

The video ended and silence fell. I just looked round, boxes of my things Cayde had helped me move scattered around the apartment.

**_Zavala, are you OK?_ **

I glanced to Neptune, suddenly aware of the tears rolling down my cheek.

“Just... I’m glad I watched it” I smiled, Neptune smiling back.

_____________________________________________________________  
Arjic – On Io – Working with Asher Mir  
_____________________________________________________________

“... I imagine with the right components and more reading incorporating time travel should not be a problem” Asher commented and I nodded. Looking at the device laying on his work bench, we’d reclaimed the lost piece on Nessus and taken the one from Sera.

Whilst Asher tinkered away I found myself thinking back in time... Asher holding a bleeding Sera in his arm, talking about how Eris did something similar for him... Something he never got to do for her...

“You know, it is... Nice... to have an apprentice again. Someone who for the most part understands what I am talking about” Asher suddenly commented and I smiled at him. Despite the fact it sounded like he had to force the work ‘nice’ out his mouth it was a compliment.

He wasn’t such an ass, or at least he wasn’t when he felt like being kind to others...

_____________________________________________________________  
Luca – Somewhere in the EDZ – A Guardian Grave site  
_____________________________________________________________

You didn’t need to be able to see the ground to know a new grave had been dug, the smell of the fresh soil and turned over grass filled my nostrils... It was a smell that made me feel sick.

“Life is going to be pretty dull from now on you know, now your light has gone... I guess you could say we carry your memory with us, but... It won’t bring you back. Also your memory won’t keep my ass in line will it” I sighed, placing the flowers down before turning and walking away.

I hated goodbyes.

_____________________________________________________________  
Cayde – Ramen Bar in the Bazaar – Day turning to night  
_____________________________________________________________

“Fill her up” I sighed, placing the empty glass on the bar. Neon green liquid obligingly poured into it. Very good service.

“Cayde, you’ve been here some time” Ikora said, taking a seat next to me, those soul piercing eyes of hers fixed on my form.

He talked Zavala into drinks to help cheer him up but to do so he needs to drown his own sorrows first

“Still no change?” Ikora asked and I looked to her and shook my head, she just sighed. The dark circles starting to appear under her eyes informing me she had not been sleeping.

“How you holding up... heard you muttering about Osiris again the other day” I said, the Warlock giving me a coy smirk before standing and nodding her head to me.

“Hope you find Colonel soon by the way” she chuckled before leaving to speak to a waiting Warlock. What was going on with that woman?

And how did she knew I’d lost him again?

_____________________________________________________________  
Nurse Webb – Tower Medical Bay – Entering Room Nine  
_____________________________________________________________

“What the! Who let a chicken in here?” I called and a few of my colleagues crowded round me in the door way. A chicken was sat on one of the visitor chairs positioned against the wall, just staring at me.

“Never mind the Chicken... Where is your patient?” Sora asked and I looked over to the bed... The empty bed.

“She was here an hour ago...” I muttered, more than a little shocked at the turn of events.

_____________________________________________________________  
Sera – The Tower – Zavala’s secret spot  
_____________________________________________________________

**I don’t think sneaking out the medical bay was the right thing to do**

“Do you ever like any of my ideas?” I asked. Orion just huffed and looked out over the view. Silence falling over us like a blanket, engulfing us and wrapping around us.

**The sunset is pretty**

“It is isn’t it” I replied, a soft breeze blowing over the rooftops and through my already messy hair. Traveller did I need a hair brush.

**Someone else is up here... Must be unscheduled maintenance**

“Probably... Or...” I commented as I glanced back round the whatever it was I was leant against. Yeah... Of course it was.

**Orbit?**

I sighed and shook my head. It had to happen sooner or later

 **Your call**  
**_Orion... Is that you?  
_ ** **Oh... Hi Neptune... Fancy seeing you here, we were just... Gathering our thoughts... Not hiding at all.**

“We?” Zavala’s voice suddenly sounded, I was sure I felt my heart miss a beat.

“Could you stop dropping me in it Orion? Just a day where you don’t say something you shouldn’t” I sighed, Orion turning to glare at me. Both Neptune and Zavala moving to stand, and float, before us.

“Sera... I thought you were still in the medical bay. Unconscious... On life support” Zavala said, his voice cracking and his eyes filling with tears.

“I woke up a few hours ago. Wires attached to me, a pipe down my throat... One elsewhere... And that fucking chicken on my chest. For the first ten minutes or so I could not remember a thing... Then Orion woke up and suddenly it all came flooding back” I said, Zavala just stared at me for a minute before moving to sit next to me, an expression of almost disbelief on his face.

“I thought I lost you Sera... I even watched your video” Zavala said and I leant into him. His familiar warmth and smell making me smile.

“I meant it... I love you Zavala. And I don’t care if you say it back right away but realising that there was a very real possibility I could die on Nessus led to me realising that I love you and that you make me feel happy to be alive. I could happily spend the remainder of my days cuddled up on the sofa with you in an evening rather than roaming the wilds for months on end... Not that I won’t have to now and then... But you’ve tamed this Hunter it seems” I said and Orion just glared at me.

**You laughed at me when I said he had tamed you, called it cheesy**

“To be fair it is cheesy. But also cute. Sera, I watched you die, or at least I thought I did, and in that moment my world stopped. I watched the woman I care for get stabbed, I watched the woman I love slowly bleed to death and I wasn’t the one holding her in my arms. Then when they bought you back and you were still breathing... I have never been so hopeful” Zavala said and I smiled up at him.

“Permission to be classified as off duty for... a month... I want to spend time with my partner” I chuckled and Zavala smiled.

“A month of you always home with me... Sure you don’t want to make it two?” Zavala said, smiling at me... God his smile was so handsome... and those eyes...

His hand came up to rest on my cheek, I smiled as he leant down slowly, connecting our lips in the single best kiss of my many lives...

Oh how I’d missed this.


	26. Character Question & Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, you guys sent me questions to ask Luca, Arjic and Sera as well as some for the ever so loveable Orion and Zavala.  
> Here are the answers.

So, you lovely readers sent in your questions for Sera, Arjic, Luca, Orion and Zavala and I put them to the poor unsuspecting Guardians... and Ghost and below are their replies.

Enjoy!

 **Sera’s Answers**  
  
**What would you have done differently if you could do it all again. I know, call me cliché, but I must know.**

I would have done a few things differently I think, mainly the things we did on Nessus, like when I paused over Jackal’s body when I noticed Hyena, thinking back it makes perfect sense, just because we could not see him it did not mean he wasn’t there... Also it would have meant I would have had both blades and would not have been stabbed. Also I would have waited a little longer before trying to set up the device, that way we would have missed Jackal and been able to go with our original plan saving both Luca and myself from getting injured... Though the big thing, the main thing I wish I could have done differently was to go back and not go up that bloody tunnel into the Fallen base... That way Jackal would still be alive... Then again I wouldn’t’ have met Arjic... But here we are, the cookie has crumbled and we have to accept where the crumbs land, it is as simple as that.

**What made you doubt your ability to come home safely? From what I have read you are just as capable as any other Guardian, if not more so. Reading through the transcripts and watching over your telemetry feeds I can't seem to find a single moment where you falter in any way.**

I guess it comes down to having seen so many other powerful Guardians die. Granted Phobos and Alexis did not have their light, but others did and they are dead. Also who knows how desperate our enemies are, what are they willing to do just to have the chance at defeating us... The Fallen are the perfect example of that. Firstly they banded together and assaulted the wall more than once in order to try and reclaim the Traveller, then the House of Wolves turned on the Queen of the Reef and got mixed up with Vex tech and to top it off they played with SIVA and conducted twisted experiments on both themselves and Guardians and it cost lives. All it takes is one slip up, one wrong choice, one wrong tunnel and you could be dead.  
  
**Is there anything that you would like to explain that the recorded version may have perhaps had… redacted? Any cut lines or events? Any chronicle anomalies?**

Not that I can thing of... Oh... Wait, did you hear about the morning I tried to sneak off from Io with the device? Orion had informed Luca and Arjic off my plan, something I was obviously not aware of, so I was a little surprised when after obtaining the devices from Asher and getting ready to head for Nessus the pair of them appeared in front of me all scowls and scolding words. I mean usually I would have just done it anyway, not telling them he location or plan but they knew all that so I gave in and accepted the fact they were not going anywhere but Nessus. It was actually rather touching to know they cared so much and were just as invested in completing the mission as I was.

**We all know Hunters like to range. So do you have a particular favourite stomping ground? If yes, where and why? If not, why not?**

Good question, I rather like roaming round the EDZ or Titan. My favourite though would have to be the EDZ, whilst Titian is fun and full of new and hidden places to explore I prefer being by water I can dip my toes in. Also have you ever seen the lost sector in the winding cove? It is stunning! I love dropping down into it, admiring the beauty of it and focusing myself before decimating the Fallen that have set up shop down there... And when it is quiet in the winding cove there are a few spots, like up by that crashed ship, where you can just sit and look out over the cove. It is a good place to go think... A good place to be alone. The other thing about the EDZ is there is plenty of room for me to stretch my legs or see just how fast I can go on my Sparrow, and once I have done all that I can head back to Trostland, head to the Church and have a cup of tea with Devrim.

**So... You two planned to keep your relationship as something private, secret and everyone discovered it at the end. You two ready to show public affection proudly?**

You best be asking Zavala this too because I want to know what he says... But I would be fine with that, and I have no qualms about who sees our public and family friendly displays of affection. Not like their opinion matters to me if I am honest.  
  
**Arjic’s Answers **  
  
**What would you consider is the most important event in your entire, and so far brief, time as a Guardian?**

The most important event so far... Well considering I have not been a Guardian all that long, about a year in total, there have been a lot of important events such as the arrival of the Taken King followed by his death as well as the Red War. Though... I would most defiantly have to say the most important event so far has been witnessing Jackal cut down my fellow Guardians on Nessus and helping bring his use as a Fallen puppet to an end. The whole series of events has allowed me to grow as both a Guardian and individual as well as led to me joining a Fireteam with two of the most talented and interesting Hunters I have ever met.  
  
**Ansel is incapable of speech so how do you communicate. Is it like, Morse code or something?**

Not really. Ghosts have a connection to their Guardians and through that he gives me... hints. I know it sounds weird but other Guardians will understand, or at least I hope they will. Also on top of that connection I have come to learn what the tone and pitch of the sound he makes means, it allows for easy and quick communication.  
  
**Have you met that special someone yet? Just wondering, you don't have to answer.**  
  
I don’t know yet... Maybe. Sera’s neighbour is cute; I wouldn’t mind getting to know him better. He seems very nice, and as a fellow Warlock it would mean we have a fair few shared interests... Well, hopefully it would.

**Tips for coping with Asher? How do you cope with Asher? I can’t cope with Asher...**

Urmm... Patience and a lot of it. He is a very trying man at times and whilst he can be very brash and insulting at times there are time where he shows that he does care, he just doesn’t like to show it, probably because he knows he is dying. I mean, I’d hate to find out I am slowly being consumed and will someday become one of my enemies and then on top of that know I would be leaving my friends behind, leaving them with the task of one day killing me... Maybe if he can get all of us to at the very least feel neutral about him then it won’t be so hard to fire the shot that ends his life.

**It seems to be a well known fact that Hunters cannot live without Ramen, what food could you not live without?**

Personally I could not live without chips, I love sitting down with a plate of chips and a pot of tomato sauce and watching a movie, I mean most people would have a bag of crisps or popcorn but not me, a plate of chips... Though if you were to ask most Warlocks I imagine they’d be cliché and say knowledge but whilst knowledge is important and key to our survival so are chips.

 ****Luca’s Answers  
  
**How do you cope with the loss of your wife? Since you've stopped your blatant flirting with Serafina I need to know how it's going down now.**  
  
Wow, straight in there with the deep questions. Well, how do I cope with her loss? I honour her memory, the memories I have of our time together and I continue living. Though I have realised, with the help of friends, that maybe I am not coping as well as I thought so I have changed my coping strategies a little. I now talk about her a lot more, I tell more people about her... I hid her memory away and I shouldn’t have done that, she’d be so mad at me if she knew. Though right now I am trying to find a way to incorporate her Warlock bond into my ensemble, that way she is always with me.

  
**What did you do before you joined up with Sera? Probably gumshoeing around the system with a shotgun in one hand and a pretty lady in the other, am I in the right ballpark?**  
  
Not quiet, I was in the EDZ most the time tracking Fallen and Cabal, hand cannon in one hand and a rocket launcher on standby for when it all went pear shaped. In fact when I got the message from the Vanguard to join up with Jackal and Sera I was rather excited, the only human contact I had outside of bumping into other Guardians was Devrim, and there is only so much tea I can drink. Seriously. His blood is probably made up of the stuff.  
  
**More on that previous question, why did you join Sera's Fireteam in the first place?**

Like I said I hadn’t had much contact with others for a while and I had heard through the grape vine that both she and Jackal had lost their Fireteam members in the Red Legions attack... It was nice to know we all knew what the other was going through for the most part. Also I knew they were top notch Guardians; capable of not only watching their own back but mine as well and that is what you want. Someone who you know has your back but is not completely incompetent and if separated from you would not be able to take care of themselves... And, she has nice eyes...

**Your fetish with Awoken eyes disturbs me. Like, really. And your overall obsession with Awoken females. Why not humans? I mean, I know their eyes don't glow but...**

I have courted humans in the past and would again should the right woman come along... I just seem to have more luck with Awoken women considering my late wife was Awoken... and my three ex-girlfriends before her were as well... Though maybe it is an eye thing, who knows.

**What happened to your old Fireteam, Harley and Mira?**

Going for the hard questions today I see... Well, Harley died first, we were helping some civilians out of one of the numerous holes in the wall, she was on the inside of the wall, Mira was inside the hole in the wall and I was on the outside pointing people in the direction of the forest, at least there they would be under cover until we were ready to make a move. Anyway a Cabala patrol stumbled across us and we were pretty much out of ammo so Harley acted... She had picked up some Cabal explosives from a couple of dead ones we had stumbled across a little while before... She ensured everyone got through the wall by not even giving the patrol a chance to raise their weapons from what Mira told me... I didn’t see it; I only heard the explosion and felt the ground shake. So, after Harley died we took the survivors into the forest and started to make our way away from the city with barely any supplies or the appropriate clothing... One of the kids in the group was in his bathrobe and slippers. So, about two days into the journey we hit the mountains and it is tough on everyone, especially the kids so we decide to find somewhere to set up a camp, Mira goes ahead to scope it out and comes back saying there is a Cabal patrol heading our way, now, we have nowhere to hide, no caves no cover and a total of sixteen bullets between us. Mira just tells me to get everyone to safety and she will find us before running off... I couldn’t chase after her, not with eighteen people counting on me. Me and my now grand total of nine bullets... I found out from a Titan that came across her that she died from injuries she got whilst leading the Cabal patrol across one of the more treacherous passes. Said she told him to find me and tell me to make sure I made them pay...

**Orion’s Answers**

**Do you want to be my Ghost? You are so damn cute.**

Well thank you! Though I have found my Guardian who I shall be informing needs to call me cute a lot more often... Though sorry I cannot be your Ghost though I am sure the right Ghost will find you! Sometimes it just takes us a while to end up in the right place.

**How often does Sera have you worrying for your lives when she does something that in your eye is dangerous or stupid?**

Very often, I can say without any uncertainty that each time we have stepped outside of the city limits she has done something that could be considered dangerous and stupid despite Cayde calling it ‘brave’ or ‘inspired’ since he’d most likely have done the same thing... I am hoping that the more time she spend with Zavala the more common sense she will gain... Then again I may just be being optimistic.

**Why do you dislike being called ‘Little Light’ so much, I think it is a cute nickname**

Sera sent this one didn’t she? She thinks she is funny but she isn’t, and neither was that Exo stranger... I am neither little nor a light! I am a normal sized Ghost and I have a name.

**Can I see you in the bright pink shell?**

Seriously if this is Sera asking these questions next time she wants her Rocket Launcher she will find herself holding a party-popper... And if it isn’t well, no. No you cannot. It is a horrible shell and should be destroyed. I mean, what mean Guardian makes their Ghost wear such a shell? It provides no benefits and just makes them an extra visible target.

**What was running through your mind when you realised Sera had been stabbed by Jackal?**

Oh... Can we go back to the silly questions? No... OK... Well, I was in a state of absolute panic because I could feel her life seeping away, seeing her lying in Asher’s arms limp and bleeding, it is an image that will haunt me for the rest of my existence. All the way back to the Tower I was panicking, sure her will to live would break and I’d be left a Ghost without a Guardian and to find a corner in which to lay whilst my Light slowly left me till I became nothing more than an empty shell... That moment in which I realised she was injured and that it was potentially fatal, that moment is the worst moment of my life.

**Zavala’s Answers**

**So... You two planned to keep your relationship as something private, secret and everyone discovered it at the end. You two ready to show public affection proudly?**

It would be inappropriate to do so whilst either of us are working, however when both of us are enjoying down time I would happily show affection publicly, though maybe not to the extent of the incident in the lift...

**I know you are the Commander, duty keeps you at the new Tower, etc etc, but would you consider taking a mission with Sera? I know you (And Shaxx) are dying to kick ass instead of watching everyone else do it.**

My duties as Commander do keep me very busy and within the Tower or city limits, however should it require my presence I would go on a mission with Sera. Though I would have to sure of my ability to keep my emotional reactions to her being hurt in check as I would not want to compromise the mission... And if Shaxx was there as well someone would end up getting hurt, he has a habit of running into things head first, including hoards of Fallen and explosions.

**If Sera was not dead why did you watch the video she made?**

Because I was a fool and believed it was simply a matter of time before the machines would no longer be able to sustain her life, each time I visited her I was told there were no signs of improvement and Orion was becoming less and less active, less and less himself... I took that as a sign that her time was coming and that she’d not be coming back from this death so I watched the video.

**If you were going to get Sera something for her birthday what would it be?**

A new weapon of some description, something with a bit of a kick to it and that she would get enjoyment out of using. Though I am unaware of when her birthday is and have been informed she does not like people doing anything for it so I shall not be getting her a present of any description.

**How did Amanda Holliday react to finding out about you and Sera?**

She was a little surprised and informed me that if we were not more careful about the locations we picked to be... lip locked... A lot more people would know a lot quicker than we wanted them to. She also commented that maybe I could teach Sera how to fly a little better then she would not have to spend as much time making sure her ship was space worthy every time she bought it back in.

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that the Ghosts will all have different text format when they speak. This is as follows for the Ghosts currently appearing in the story;  
> Orion - Bold  
> Neptune - Bold italics  
> Dom - Underlined Bold  
> Hyena - Italics  
> Ace - Underlined


End file.
